EP #041: Natural Living

/in , /by

Toss Your Pharmaceutical Drugs and Adopt a Natural Lifestyle

No matter how long you have been taking drugs or for what reason, it is never too late to quit them. Some drugs, like insulin or thyroid medications, are life-saving and may be reduced to a lesser dosage, but many common drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and ADHD can be completely eliminated with the help of whole food nutrition, supplements, counseling, and an active lifestyle, including: opiates, benzodiazepine, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), stimulants, statins, Ace inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and diabetes drugs.

Why Eliminate Drugs?

Side Effects, Nutrient Deficiencies, Liver Damage, and Brain Inflammation

Adverse effects of drugs are referred to as “side effects,” as if they are somehow lesser than their intended effects. This is misleading. Drugs have many effects, intended helpful ones and unintended, adverse ones. Their unintended, adverse effects often require treatment with even more drugs, creating a downward spiral of adverse effects. For example, statins are used to treat high cholesterol, but damage the liver and muscle cells causing elevated liver enzymes, muscle pain, and increased blood sugar. Benzodiazepines, opiates, and simulants are used to treat mental health problems, but are highly addictive and cause other mental and physical problems. Steroids, SSRIs, and insulin all cause weight gain. All these so-called “side effects” generate new health problems that may be worse than the problem they were originally meant to address and may even make the original problem worse.

In addition to adverse effects, drugs are toxic and generate liver damage, brain inflammation, and nutrient deficiencies. The most common nutrient deficiencies are B vitamins, magnesium, and CO Q10.

Eliminating Pharmaceutical Drug Use and Dependency

Switching from drug dependence to a natural lifestyle will involve breaking bad habits and establishing good ones. This is possible because of the neuroplasticity of the brain, but it requires a scientific approach and an appropriate method as well as courage and determination.

Below we review the different steps involved in the process of drug dependence and how we address it at HNRC.

1. Drug Dependence

Dependence to a medication can be as trivial as the psychological reassurance that you are “normal” and “safe,” such as when taking a blood pressure medication, or it can be totally destructive, such as when consuming medications for mental health. Death by overdoses of benzodiazepines, opiates and anti-depressants keeps climbing, as our society provides the perfect cradle for anxiety and depression, and uses these drugs to “treat” them.

2. Resistance to change

Habits are “hard-wired” by neural pathways in the brain. They are learned through repetition and become unconscious as neural pathways are formed, freeing the brain to “concentrate” on other non-habit driven activities. Habits are unconscious and supported by neural pathways in the basal ganglia of the brain, whereas the prefrontal cortex area is the seat of our conscious higher self, where we “think,” control impulses, and make decisions. Pharmaceutical drugs are habit forming and these habits tend to overpower the ability of the higher self to be in control.

3. The negative bias of the brain

The brain can store one single negative event and recall the fear associated with its memory in any similar situation to protect us from experiencing another trauma. This characteristic of the brain is blamable for PTSD and it is in the way of change. Taking pharmaceutical drugs may be associated with any fear or hope and these feelings may interfere with the cessation of taking the drug.

4. Attachment to the past and fear of the future

Depression and anxiety go hand in hand depriving us from experiencing the present time. Depression can be viewed as attachment to the past and anxiety as fear of the future. There is safety in the known and unsettlement in the unknown

Mastering Your Change to a Natural Lifestyle

1. Go away for a healthy vacation or a retreat

To transition to a natural lifestyle, it is important to get support from a doctor experienced in the process of weaning off pharmaceutical drugs. A stay in a facility is recommended to wean off addictive drugs for mental health. Eliminating cues triggering bad habits and living in a supportive environment facilitates the formation of new habits.

2. Overcoming resistance to change

At our clinic we address both the physiological and psychological aspects of transitioning to a drugless lifestyle. We treat nutrient deficiencies, liver injury, and brain inflammation with an anti-inflammatory, plant-based diet, supplements, in particular Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil or flax seed oil, and IV therapy. To address the psychological aspects, we teach the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness brings the attention to the present avoiding the tricks of the depressed or anxious mind taking us to the past or the future

3. Breaking your bad habits, stage 1 detoxification

Mechanisms of drug toxicity have been studied and show that even at the prescribed dosage, drugs are toxic to the liver, heart, and kidney. Detoxification at the cellular level is the first step to ensure a successful transition to a natural lifestyle. We accomplish detoxification with diverse procedures: coffee enemas, which increase the production of glutathione in the liver; colon hydrotherapy, which removes plaque accumulated in the colon; juices, that remove byproducts of drugs metabolized and stored in the tissues; and the sauna, which removes chemicals and heavy metals through sweat.

4. Forming new habits, stage 2 MAP

MAP stands for Motivation, Awareness, Practice, the 3 pillars of the mindset for a successful change. Going to the gym rather than grabbing a pill for high blood pressure, or making a salad at home rather than stopping at the convenience store, is going to require a conscious determination, proper dealing with cues, and rewarding yourself to create the neural path that will support your new habit.

Motivation and rewards work hand and hand. Awareness through looking at the numbers going down on your scale or glucometer and feeling energized will fuel your desire to continue your healthy path. The practice of repetition is the essence of learning and the new habits will have to be consciously repeated over time until they come spontaneously. Awareness is the container in which it is all happening. If you have signed up for a gym and never made it there or failed many times in your New Year resolutions, we can help.

17 Things to Avoid to Protect Yourself from Cancer

/in , /by
  1. Underwire bras constrict the lymphatic system and have been identified as a cause of cancer https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-underwire-bras-cause-cancer/
  2. Synthetic fiber clothing and bed sheets. Use organic cotton or silk.
  3. Carcinogens are ubiquitous. Carcinogens are chemical compounds that cause mutation in our DNA, the genetic material inherited by our parents. They are found in house cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, make up, food and drinks. The most dangerous carcinogens we are exposed to are Round Up (an herbicide) and chlorine. Use organic food to avoid chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers. Do not use Round Up on your lawn.
  4. Chlorine. Chlorine is found in tab water and swimming pools. It is a common household product sold as Clorox. Avoid drinking or showering or bathing in tap water. Buy a water filter for your house or get a filter for your shower and sink. Avoid swimming in a chlorinated pool.
  5. Detergents in commercial cleaning supplies. Use vinegar and water instead or regular soap.
  6. Overuse of soap. Body soaps removes natural oils on the skin and flush vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D are usually found in people with cancer. Test for vitamin D levels. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer…/known-and-probable-human-carcinogens.html
  7. Household furniture, carpets, pressed wood, curtains contain fire retardants, formaldehyde benzene and naphthalene. Memory foam is particularly toxic.
  8. VOC or volatile organic compounds are contained in paint and off gas for years. Buy “no VOC” paint.
  9. Electronic equipment produces electromagnetic field (EMF) disturbing to the natural electricity of our cells. Eliminate them from your bedroom to have a regenerating sleep: remove TVs, computers, phones in particular smart phones.
  10. Location of the house: danger of power lines and high voltage power lines. EMFs emitted by power lines have shown to cause cancer.
  11. Regenerating sleep at night, in a dark room or natural light. Go to bed early and get up early.
  12. Eliminate toxic habits. Smoking, chewing tobacco, drinking alcoholic beverages, consuming illegal drugs including marijuana and pharmaceuticals. Smoking is associated with lung, esophageal and bladder cancer. Quit.
  13. Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for certain head and neck cancers, particularly cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and larynx (voice box). Quit.
  14. Pharmaceuticals are the fourth leading cause of death. Over prescribed antibiotics destroy beneficial bacterial flora causing fungal overgrowth and creating dysbiosis.
  15. Processed and GMO foods in particular processed meats and food additives linked to colon cancer. Thirty percent of the processed meat tested in commercial stores contains C. Difficile, a diarrhea causing pathological bacteria difficult to get rid of, eventually causing colon cancer. Additives and emulsifiers added to bread and other processed foods to extend shelf life, alter gut bacteria causing inflammation and causing colorectal cancer.
  16. Infections by carcinogenic bacteria and viruses. Twenty percent of cancers are associated with bacteria or viruses. Herpes virus associated with nasopharyngeal cancer, H. Pylori bacteria associated stomach cancer, EBV (Epstein Barr Virus), the cause of mononucleosis or the so-called kissing disease because it spreads through the saliva, associated with naso-pharyngeal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, EBV associated with lymphoma, HIV associated many types of cancer. HPV (Human papilloma virus) with cervical cancer, esophageal cancer from oral sex, Hepatitis B and C associated with liver cancer. Treat all infections as soon as diagnosed or after diagnosis.
  17. Air pollution. The air we breathe is contaminated with particulate matter, decreased oxygen, and various pollutants from industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, combustion, heating activities and vog (in Hawaii). Fresh air composition: Nitrogen @ 78.09% Oxygen @ 20.95% and Argon @ 0.93%. That makes up about 99.97%. Indoor air pollution is usually worse than outdoor air pollution. Air pollution is responsible for the number one cancer type: lung cancer. Read the article, 9 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality.

7 Actions Pre-Diabetics Can Take To Avoid Type 2 Diabetes

/in /by

Pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose are all warning signs that a change in lifestyle and nutrition needs to happen in a person’s life! If individuals continue with the same nutritional habits and lifestyle after any of the above risk factors have been identified, it is inevitable that these individuals will develop type 2 diabetes.  Diabetes leads to heart disease, blindness, peripheral neuropathy and many more life threatening illnesses. Read more about the effects of type 2 diabetes on the body here.

Signs and Symptoms of Pre-Diabetes

The table below shows the blood sugar measurements that need to be found on two separate occasions or occurrences to be diagnosed as pre-diabetic. The numbers below are from the American Diabetes Association.

Signs and Symptoms of Pre-Diabetes (data from American Diabetes Association)
A1C or HbA1CFasting Blood SugarSymptoms
Normalbelow 5.7%less than 100mg/dl
Pre-diabetesbetween 5.7% and 6.4%between 100 and 125mg/dlIncreased thirst and more frequent urination may or may not be present
Diabetesabove 6.4%more than 126mg/dlIncreased thirst and more frequent urination may or may not be present

What To Do If You Are Pre-Diabetic?

1. Overweight

If you are overweight, in particular if you carry some extra weight around your waist, you are at risk for diabetes and you want to know what your A1C is. The optimal fasting blood sugar should be in the lower 80’s. If your blood sugar were higher than 90 twice taken consecutively, I would not wait to take action. The earlier you do something, the easier it is. You will need to analyze the causes of your weight gain. Is it emotional eating, depression, medication side effects, lack of physical activity, or an elevated toxic burden?

2. Physical Inactivity

If you are inactive physically, realize that being inactive increases your chances of insulin resistance. Just try to use your car less and walk to places that you can walk to. If you have an office job, stand up for 5 minutes every hour or add a standing desk in your office. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Every small effort creates a more active life.

3. High Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure. A blood pressure of 140 /90 is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes respond to nutritional changes and exercise. See this high blood pressure case study for one of our residential program patients.

4. Low HDL and High Triglycerides

If your HDL cholesterol is low, less than 50, and your triglycerides are high, above 80, you have an increase risk of diabetes. Besides dietary modifications and lifestyle changes some supplements such as niacin and tocotrienols can be very helpful at decreasing your cholesterol.

5. Toxic Load

I you have been smoking and drinking excessively, taking pharmaceutical drugs, eating processed foods and conventional foods for over 40+ years chances are that your toxic burden is elevated. Cadmium, mostly found in cigarettes, has been found to be one of the causes of insulin resistance. You may want to consider finding a naturopathic or integrative doctor who can assess toxicity and heavy metal load and who can assist you with a detoxification regimen.

6. Sugar and Refined Foods

Sugar comes in various forms and is ubiquitous in processed food. White sugar, brown sugar, agave, high fructose corn syrup, white flour in pasta and bread, added sugar in processed foods, sodas, all these forms of sugar raise blood sugar levels quickly and are associated with diabetes. Sugar is addictive and leads to overconsumption. If you have a problem with sugar it is better to treat it like a drug, and eliminate it completely. Sugar from fruits is okay if your blood sugar is normal. Sugar from fruits is okay if your blood sugar is normal. Try a sweetener alternative like stevia.

7. Detoxification

Don’t wait to do a detox (read about detoxification medicine). Eliminate sugar, simple carbohydrates, jump on your bike and start preparing your food from fresh organic vegetables, nuts and seeds and drink pure non-chlorinated water.

8 Easy Lifestyle Changes for Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes

/in , /by

Diabetes is a Not a Chronic Illness. It Is a Curable Disease!!

Type 2 Diabetes is caused by insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas into the bloodstream in response to the ingestion of food. Insulin transports glucose in the blood to the cells of the body where glucose is used by the mitochondria for energy. Insulin and glucose penetrate the cell membrane through receptors that in abnormal circumstances become blunt over time causing the accumulation of insulin and glucose in the blood. The blunting of insulin receptors is due to inflammation of the cell membrane. This lack of response is called insulin resistance and the result is hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. The constant high sugar level in the blood over time develops into diabetes, a so-called chronic illness.

Insulin and Glucose Uptake

Insulin inside the cells trigger the uptake of glucose from the blood serum, providing energy for the cells and lowering blood sugar. With cell inflammation insulin receptors on the surface of cells do not respond to insulin in blood serum and are unable to take up the insulin which in turn does not allow for the natural trigger for the cell to take up glucose from the blood resulting in high glucose and insulin levels in the blood.

Type 2 diabetes does not have to be a chronic illness. It is considered a chronic illness because conventional treatments have failed to reverse it. The problem is that conventional treatments address hyperglycemia which is a symptom and do not do anything to treat the cause: the high insulin levels in the blood and the blunting of the insulin receptors.

If you have type 2 diabetes and take Metformin, your health outlook for the future is poor. Here are some of the things that will happen to you:

  • You will become rapidly deficient in B vitamins, in particular vitamin B12.
  • You will end up with peripheral neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and blindness.
  • More and more medication will be prescribed to you and eventually you will end up taking insulin in an attempt to force glucose into the cell, but you already have too much insulin and that is what causes the problem!!

So what is the solution to the problem? Treat cellular inflammation that blunts not only insulin receptors but also thyroid and other hormone receptors on the surface of the cell membrane.

How Do You Eliminate Cell Inflammation?

Reduce SECRETION OF INSULIN and TOXICITY. The cells get inflamed with exogenous toxins and continuous over exposure to insulin. Over exposure to insulin in itself creates resistance.

8 EASY LIFESTYLE CHANGES FOR INSULIN RESISTANCE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES

  1. Eat less food, less often and eat real organic foods.
  2. Stop eating the foods that increase insulin such as white pasta and bread, beef and chicken.
  3. Stop eating grains and soy and dairy products that contain high levels of glyphosate, the deadly chemical from Roundup that is contained in our entire food supply unless it is 100% organic.
  4. Detox from heavy metals! Studies show that cadmium damages insulin receptors, and arsenic causes insulin resistance.
  5. Detox from pathogenic bacteria and viruses that create inflammation in all the cells of the body.
  6. Get all the trace minerals and vitamins that are so essential for our metabolic process and proper detoxification.
  7. Reset your system with intermittent fasting to overcome plateaus in your weight loss.
  8. Fast for a longer period of time 10 to 21 days to detoxify at the cellular level entirely and start a new life with proper foods and loving lifestyle habits! (see video at end of article resources)

Start being proactive for your health and heal yourself from diabetes. Do not rely on drugs that get you sicker and sicker. For your education below are some information that will help you to reduce insulin secretion and decrease blood sugar levels

  • Insulin index of food, which is different from the glycemic index that you may know.
  • Recipes to detoxify your body with low insulinemic foods that will keep your blood sugar down and restore receptor sensitivity.

Reversing diabetes does not take very long with a whole food diet rich in vegetables in particular green leafy ones, low in carbohydrate (grains and starchy foods in particular white processed) and high in good fats (flax oil, coconut oil, seeds and nuts). You may be told that a diet rich in proteins with a lot of meat and fish such as the paleo diet is adequate to keep the blood sugar in the lows. However the glycemic index of food is not what matters. What matters is the action of foods on insulin and it turns out that beef and fish have and equal power to white bread and white rice to raise insulin levels.

The raw food diet is so good for diabetes! It uses fresh organic nutrient and enzyme rich vegetables, seeds and nuts and excludes animal products. Try some of the recipes below and watch your blood sugar go down!

Resources:

Insulin Index of Food

Article from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Insulin Index of Foods

Recipes:

Raw Sweet Potato Mushroom Burgers

Posted: April 11, 2015

Diabetes Friendly, Blood Sugar Regulating Ingredients: 1 Large Clove of Garlic 1 Small Sweet Potato, Cut Into Chunks 8 oz Mushrooms, Finely Chopped ½ Cup Red Onion, Chopped ½ Cup Pumpkin Seeds Ground Into Flour Some Nutritional Yeast or Miso 1 Tbs Dried Sage 1 Tbs Rosemary (Fresh, Chopped Fine) Black Pepper For Serving Topings: […]

Omega-3 Vinaigrette

Posted: May 27, 2014

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons Flaxseed Oil 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Clove of Garlic (pressed) Fresh herbs of your choice finely chopped (cilantro, basil, tarragon, parsley, etc.) Preparation Combine all the ingredients together and either mix all manually, or place all the ingredients in a small food processor or a handheld blender […]

The Ultimate Green Juice

Posted: December 22, 2013

The following green juice recipe is Dr. Max Gerson’s recipe. It is extremely rich in iron and other minerals and very high in chlorophyll. If there is one new habit you should include in your daily routine then that is to drink one green juice a day. Green Juice Recipe Ingredients: Escarole 1-2 leaves Lettuce […]

Detox for Weight Loss. Lifestyle Changes to Keep It Off

/in , /by

Obesity and overweight are medical conditions leading to severe chronic illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, poor quality of life and premature death. A successful weight loss program includes weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. Weight loss and healthy weight maintenance require a medical holistic approach addressing the causes of weight gain. Weight gain has multiple causes from overeating for emotional reasons, to burning fewer calories than absorbed by lack of physical activities, to being the result of a medical condition or the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.

ebooklet weightloss

Overeating

Emotional Eating as a Coping Mechanism

The first question one has to reflect upon is the following: Why do I want to lose weight now, while I have been choosing to consistently gain weight for the last years? Where was the person who wants to lose weight now hiding, when I was previously gaining weight for all of these years?

Unraveling and addressing the emotional issues that have fed the hunger for food will be absolutely necessary for permanent weight loss. Often we find a history of trauma, feelings of loneliness or boredom, poorly managed anger, depression, fear of being attractive, and self-hatred to be the underlying mechanisms to emotional eating.

Start by exploring your relationship with food, being honest with yourself and journaling your answers.
Weight Loss Questionnaire

Addiction to Processed Foods

Numerous studies have found that food could be as addictive as cocaine. Substances such as sugar, salt or carbohydrates, release dopamine in the brain and generate a feeling of elation. In addition, it is difficult to get satiated with processed foods because these foods are poor in nutrients such as minerals, trace minerals and vitamins that signal the brain to stop eating. These processed foods are high in simple carbohydrates such as white sugar and white flour and trigger an insulin spike in the blood that generates fat storage in the cells. Finding other sources of pleasure is essential to eliminate the addiction to processed foods; these can be sex, exercise, friendship or creative activities.

The following presentation covers some aspects of food addiction and you may find it interesting to view in conjunction with this article.

Sedentary Lifestyle and Lack of Exercise

Human beings are “hard-wired” to be continuously active. Instead, most people spend many hours sitting. They may drive to the office, sit in their office for 8 hours straight, drive back home, grab a quick dinner, sit at a table for dinner and finally sit on a couch to watch TV. Standing up every hour if you work in an office; is essential to keep the body happy and prevent many chronic illnesses. In addition, bicycling or walking can be substituted to the use of a car when possible. Other outdoor social physical activities involving multiple people such as volleyball, tennis, basketball and football all can add another dimension to physical exercise that could help satisfy your need for cooperation.

Hormonal Conditions and Weight Loss Resistance

Diet and exercise forms the basis of any weight loss program, but in some cases diet and exercise may not be giving the expected weight loss results. A few people will be weight loss resistant. That means that they may do all the right things, eat a proper diet and exercise and still not lose weight. Some others may lose one pound a day for a few days then hit a plateau. Some others may have been overweight for a long time or may weigh over 200 pounds and the weight just does not come off. Weight loss resistance calls for medical attention. Hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, heavy metal toxicity and hormonal imbalance are common causes of weight loss resistance.

Stress

Stress increases cortisol levels and chronic stress lead to adrenal fatigue and weight gain. Learning how to meditate and how to detach from our thoughts, emotions, or worries is an important step to lower cortisol and manage stress. Stress is an important cause of insomnia, the difficulty to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night.

Read the transcript to a great presentation by Dr. Maya Nicole Baylac on The Dynamics of Stress, Anxiety, and Fear in Modern Society and Strategies for Coping.

Poor Sleep

Overeating and having dinner too late, anxiety and stress, surrounded by too much electronic equipment, artificial lights, noisy environment, and being in rooms that are too hot or too cold room can raise our cortisol levels and generate insomnia. Poor sleep has been shown to be related to weight gain. Creating optimum physical and psychological conditions for eight hours of good quality sleep is an important aspect of our weight loss program. Supplements such as 5HTP, GABA, melatonin or herbs such as lavender, melissa or passiflora have beneficial effects on sleep without the adverse side effects of pharmaceutical medications.

Dysbiosis

Dysbiosis is common in overweight and obese people. Dysbiosis occurs when the pathogenic bacteria, yeast and parasites control the colonic environment to the detriment of beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus or bifidus bacteria. These bacteria are said to be beneficial because they manufacture vitamins (B and K), proteins and help digestion and immunity. Recent research found that the bacteria lactobacillus gasseri plays a role in maintaining a normal weight. Beneficial bacteria can be destroyed by antibiotics or candida overgrowth caused by overconsumption of sugar. An effective weight loss program includes a stool analysis test that will give us information on the nature of the gut macrobiota. A special diet will include elimination of sugar and inclusion of live foods and fermented foods and beverages. Stress management plays an important role in the maintenance of a healthy gut macrobiota.

Get recipes HERE for making your own fermented foods: sauerkraut, kim chee, rejuvelac, kombucha, etc.

Side Effects of Prescription Drugs

Many prescription drugs cause weight gain: Anti-depressants such as Paxil and Zoloft, anti-histamine, anti-psychotic, beta-blockers anti-hypertensive, diabetes medications, seizure and mood stabilizers such as Depakote and corticosteroids. Naturopathic medicine provides natural alternatives without detrimental side effects.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Overweight & Obesity

Weight Loss Questionnaire

Heavy Metal Toxicity

Toxic Element (Heavy Metal Exposure) Chart

Stool Analysis Info: Comprehensive Stool Analysis with Parasitology x3 (3 stool samples over three days). Some parasites don’t drop waste every day and a test kit with stool samples over several days will have a better chance of showing all the gut bacteria, friendly and unfriendly.

Residential Weight Loss Program – Lifestyle Change for Weight Loss

10 Day Raw Detox – Kick Start Weight Loss

Do you suffer from a medical condition? Are you stuck in your life and looking for a transformation? [Infographic]

/in /by

How to Normalize High Blood Pressure Naturally in a Few Days

/in , /by

P is a successful businessman who came to us urgently. For the last 4 years his blood pressure was in the 150/110 range. He was taking a prescription blood pressure lowering medication regularly, but now he was afraid. The relaxation techniques and medications P had been using where no longer working and his blood pressure was getting out of control. He was very stressed out and feeling the need to get away from it all. He wanted to see if his high blood pressure could be fixed for good. He decided quickly to participate in a residential medical retreat at Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat for three weeks.

We put him on our whole raw food diet along with an intense detoxification and psychotherapeutic program. He was a very compliant patient, taking his daily coffee enemas and nightly saunas regularly. He never missed his walks after lunch and dinner and had colon hydrotherapy (colonics) two to three times per week. He also spoke with a therapist daily.

After 5 days his blood pressure came down from 142/114 to 122/88. His weight decreased from 215 lbs, at the beginning of his program, to 199lbs three weeks later. In addition he journaled daily about his self-discovery and began to make resolutions for his life.

How Did P Recover So Fast?

1. A Safe and Nurturing Environment

P was running on a sympathetic mode, going from one airport to another, making public appearances, and he became very stressed by an environment that he perceived unconsciously as hostile. We provided an environment that he could trust, and he could get grounded and relaxed: greenery, soothing ocean and caring people to take care of him. This environment helped to restore the balance between parasympathetic (rest and digest) and the sympathetic system (alertness, fight or flight response).

2. Proper Nutrition

Although P had access to great nutrition he was using foods to cope with his stress and was eating stimulating processed foods in quantities larger than necessary and gained 40 + pound over the last 20 years. While following our Lifestyle Change Program P ate a raw organic whole foods diet and his body started replenishing with nutrients and moving naturally towards his ideal weight.

3. Supplements

P got on an individualized supplement regimen that helped his blood vessels to relax, enhanced his digestion and relaxed his mind.

4. Counseling

The most important thing that happened to P is that he was willing to have an honest look at himself. He faced his unfounded fears, recognized his anxiety and reconnected with his spiritual beliefs. It is important in our perspective that patients face their fears instead of avoiding them and eliminate poor coping mechanisms to face the discomfort of their anxiety. P accessed disturbing memories with Reichian Breathwork and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and learned how to let go of the story he had playing in his head about his lack of luck in the past and live in the moment.

5. Exercise

P got into a regular exercise regimen including Stott Reformer Pilates three times per week, light weight lifting, and daily walks.

6. Sleep

P was sleeping well before his visit to Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat. During the first few nights his sleep was disturbed by fears that had been repressed and now were taking the opportunity to resurface to his awareness. The mastering of his fears restored his sleeping patterns after three days of dream disturbed sleep.

7. Prayer

P reconnected with the divine aspect of his life and began being grateful for his life. Connecting with God was an important part of P’s recovery process.

How Did We Help P?

P was empowered with meditation as a tool to control his blood pressure. During his first sessions his BP was extremely high. We took the BP at the beginning of the session, then we had him relax and meditate. As time was elapsing and as he was breathing and following our relaxation guidance, his blood pressure continued to decrease. P could see that as he was connecting with his deep self or moving into his truth his BP was getting lower. From there it was just a matter of teaching him the technique and how to reproduce it on his own when needed.

You also can take control of your life! You can empower yourself and become independent from drugs which not only have severe side effects but also do not treat the root cause of your high blood pressure. We can help you to change your life for the best!

Treatment of Cancer with a Mind Body Approach

/in , /by

GERSON THERAPY

Learn from Dr. Baylac, at Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center, how to detoxify the body from the harmful effects of drugs and chemicals, and then rebuild it with foods rich in nutrients.
Also read about what to do, what steps to take if you have cancer.

TREATMENT OF CANCER WITH A MIND BODY APPROACH
By Dr. Maya Nicole Baylac, N.D.

A Case of Prostate Cancer

JP is a 55 year old male who came to my clinic for the first time in October of 2005 with a diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma, Gleason’s score 6 (grade 3+3), and a PSA of 5.3. The usual conventional treatment options had been presented to JP and he declined them, being concerned by their undesirable side effects. JP’s wife died in 2001 of complications from chemotherapy treatment for a recurring cancer. JP was very determined to choose another path.

His research led him to a nutritional program designed in the early 20th century by Dr. Gerson. The Gerson Therapy is a very involved regimen of fresh juices, meals, supplements and coffee enemas, which requires a strong commitment. JP was ready to make that commitment but not ready at all to even think about giving up the pharmaceutical and recreational drugs he had been addicted to for the last 25 years.

JP had a history of epileptic seizures and he was on a 100 mg daily dose of Phenobarbital and marijuana since 1982. JP’s hands were shaking when his arms were extended and his voice and eyes were expressing a subtle level of anxiety and anger. His last seizure happened in 1990.

After discussing the deleterious effects of Phenobarbital on the liver and the possible interaction with prolactin and testosterone, I helped JP to release his fears and he agreed to wean back slowly. JP is a yoga teacher and a meditation adept, so I decided to use these already developed skills to control the next eventual seizure. He was supposed to identify the signs preceding the seizure, stop what he was doing, breathe and be the watcher within. As JP was getting more confident in his ability to control his eventual seizures, he was cutting back on the medication at his own pace, under my supervision.

It took about 6 months to eliminate the drug completely. He reported having a small seizure 1 week after he stopped, and short moments of absence for the following 2 weeks. Overall, JP was feeling better and better, his shakiness was decreasing considerably, and he felt confident enough to drive a vehicle.

The next challenge consisted in eliminating marijuana. JP had strong resistances all along, arguing that the herb had great benefits on his health and was actually recently prescribed by a doctor. As his PSA kept climbing and as I kept working with him on his dependence on the drug, we finally compromised on the vaporizer for some time, and eventually he quit.

One month after the beginning of the therapy JP’s PSA decreased slightly, but then after it kept going up slowly – until it reached 7.2 in December of 2006. JP was worried, and on the 1st of December we decided to do a CAT scan of the abdomen and pelvis, which showed no evidence of cancer. Two months later in February of 2007, the PSA dropped by 2 points to 5.3, and 4.0 at this date, (August 17,07) to the joy of JP, who continues the therapy with the encouragement of his successes. He has been free from seizure, the shakiness and anxiety is now gone, he feels better and better and is proud to be in control of his mental and physical health.

Another important psycho-emotional issue that JP had been working on is a long history of grief. He lost his mother when he was 1 year old, his governess and surrogate mother was fired by his father when he was 12. At the age of 12, he also witnessed the death of his father in a motorcycle accident after he saw him going through 3 heart attacks. In his adulthood he divorced a loving wife of 12 years and separated from his 5 and 9 year old daughters. And finally, he lost his second wife to cancer. As JP was getting in touch with his feelings of guilt and anger, he became more outspoken and channeled some of that energy in his determination to heal.

This case illustrates how the psychological factors are intertwined with the physical recovery process.

  • First, at the beginning of the therapy, the mental and emotional states were assessed and taken into account during the whole duration of the therapy.
  • Second, counseling, education and meditation were used in the process of recovery from drug dependence.

It took perseverance, support and continuous positive feedback over the course of 18 months to modify JP’s behavior. He had a CBC, a complete metabolic panel and a PSA check-up regularly, first once a month, and then every 2 months. The test reviews play an important role in his decision to continue the therapy and in the process of becoming free from drugs. Third, JP has a strong will to live and total confidence in the process he elected. This attitude creates a strong positive thought form of good health, which tends to materialize.

I created an in-patient clinic for my practice to facilitate a close relationship with my patients, and use that relationship to support their lifestyle changes. I chose a setting conducive to introspection and relaxation to help patients get in touch with their deep self. Most of those who come to me need to go through some profound transformation at a deep level if they want to survive. I use whatever positive belief system patients already have, including prayer, positive thinking, talking, chanting, meditation and rational thinking, in order for the magic of healing to take place.

I find that psychological support in the form of talks during the daily visits, or the more involved breath work, allows my patients to face the deep psycho-emotional issues that underlie their medical condition and give them the incentive to experiment with new behaviors. Support that patients get from each other in the form of informal talks, circles and co-counseling, is very motivating. I also prepare them the best that I can for their exit from the clinic. They read, visualize educational material and experiment in the kitchen.

Dr. Maya Nicole Baylac, N.D.

Dr. Maya Nicole Baylac is a naturopathic physician with over 25 years of psychotherapy experience. She is a fasting certified member of the International Association of Hygienic Physicians (IAHP), and is a trained Gerson therapist. Dr. Baylac currently practices privately, as director of Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center on The Big Island Hawaii, which specializes in therapeutic fasting, the Gerson Therapy and mind body medicine.

Natural Treatment of Type II Diabetes

/in /by

Diabetes is defined as a chronic disease when there are high levels of sugar in the blood. The three major types of Diabetes are Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes makes up most of the cases and it is diagnosed with a fasting blood sugar level higher than 126 mg/dl measured twice. Levels between 100 and 126 mg/dl are referred to as impaired fasting glucose or pre-diabetes. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is used to measure the average blood glucose concentration over prolonged periods of time. This test gives an average of what your blood sugar levels have been over the past weeks to months. A normal HbA1c is less than 5.7%, Pre-Diabetes is 5.7% – 6.4% and 6.5% or higher is considered Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes, also called Non-Insulin Dependant Diabetes, often occurs in adulthood, but children, teens and young adults are now being diagnosed due to climbing obesity rates.

The root cause of Diabetes is a diet high in carbohydrates combined with the nutrient deficiencies that usually occur with this type of diet. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into sugar, and the more you eat, the higher you blood sugar goes. In response to climbing blood sugar, your body produces insulin from the pancreas, which then puts the blood sugar into your cells. We utilize sugar for energy and need it in our cells, but after many years of consuming a high carbohydrate diet, your cells become overwhelmed and blood sugar cannot get in anymore. This is called insulin resistance.

Diabetes affects more than 25 million Americans and over 80 million Americans have pre-diabetes (early type 2 diabetes).

One out of four people in the United States over the age of 65 years have Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes develops slowly and some people will have no symptoms, but it can cause blurry vision, excess thirst and hunger, dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, frequent urination, and slow healing of wounds.

Complications of Type 2 Diabetes

Since your blood continues to get thicker as the sugar in your blood increases, Diabetes can lead to serious problem such as:

  • Vision impairment and light sensitivity
  • Impaired wound healing. Feet and skin can develop sores and infection
  • High blood pressure and cholesterol become more difficult to control, which can lead to heart attack, stroke and other problems
  • Nerves damage, causing pain, tingling, and loss of feeling
  • Kidney damage

Causes of Diabetes

  • Overweight, Obesity
    • Increased body fat makes it more difficult for your body to use insulin the correct way and because of this most people are overweight when diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Four out of five people with Type 2 Diabetes are overweight or obese. Excess fat, especially around the abdomen, changes the way your body responds to insulin. You cells can no longer use insulin as efficiently to take sugar out of the blood.
  • Processed Foods and Beverages
    • Eating lots of calorie-dense, refined and processed food and beverages, such as sodas and fried food, and too little raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains, dramatically increases your risk for Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Sedentary Lifestyle
    • Watching too much TV has also proven to raise your risk. Based on an analysis of health and nutrition data, people between the ages of 20 and 54 years of age who watched TV more than two hours a day were more likely than their peers to be obese and have diabetes.
    • Physical inactivity is another risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes. Exercise and strength training will increase lean muscle mass and help protect the body against insulin resistance.

Research

  • According to an article titled, “Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Lifestyle, Diet and Medicinal Plants (2011)”, among the non-communicable diseases diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. If not controlled, complications like coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy (eye disease), nephropathy (kidney disease), and neuropathy will arise.
  • Prevention is better than a cure. Diet is extremely important in the maintenance and prevention of diabetes and has been supported in several studies.
  • “To prevent and manage diabetes, we should attain a calorie restricted, well planned low-fat and/ or low carbohydrate diet and increase physical activity. Besides changing the diet habits and lifestyle the patient should also take oral herbal preparations as these have fewer side effects.” (Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 14 (1): 13-24, 2011)

Treatment of Diabetes Type 2

Diabetes is commonly treated with medications but diabetes medications have serious side effects.

Medications and Side Effects

Metformin: A common medication used in the treatment of Diabetes. This drug lowers blood sugar by suppressing an enzyme involved in glucose production in the liver, the process of gluconeogenesis. It may cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating, diarrhea and a more serious side effect called lactic acidosis. The symptoms of lactic acidosis are weakness, trouble breathing, abnormal heartbeats, unusual muscle pain and light-headedness.
Glyburide: This drug lowers blood sugar by causing the pancreas to produce insulin. It will only help lower blood sugar in people who’s bodies produce insulin naturally. Some side effects include nausea, heartburn, rashes, low blood sugar, blurred vision and weight gain. More severe side effects include hepatitis, jaundice, and low blood sodium levels.

Prevention and Natural Treatments

The most important thing you can do to avoid Type 2 Diabetes is to keep an ideal body weight. This can be accomplished by eating whole foods that are high in fiber such as, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains, and avoiding foods that contain bad fats (trans fatty acids), white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and refined carbohydrates.

Eating well and keeping your weight low and stable is very important. There are also some natural supplements that will help you to treat and prevent the complications of Type 2 Diabetes. The Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center works specifically with diet and lifestyle changes and will give you the tools you need to bring your blood sugar down and keep it down. What you will learn will be invaluable to your health and to the health of the people around you. I worked as an intern at the Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center and witnessed some remarkable transformations. Please take a look at their Type II Diabetes natural treatment and recovery program.

This article was contributed to our blog by Dr. Jennifer Heiger during her Naturopathic Doctor’s Internship at Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat Center. Dr. Jennifer Heiger was awarded her doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA.  She earned her undergraduate degree on the Eastern Shore of Maryland from Salisbury University. She currently resides in Seattle, WA where she shares a clinic with Dr. Gordon P. Baker, MD.  who is a board certified allergist and immunologist.  In addition to her medical practice, she works as a consultant for Key Compounding Pharmacy in Kent, WA.  Her clinical interests include treating addiction, depression, anxiety, fatigue, digestive complaints, and hormone imbalance.  Dr. Heiger believes medicine to be her art, and her passion is to build awareness that health is within everyone’s reach.  She believes the body is powerful, and we all possess the innate ability to heal.

REFERENCES:

  • www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  • www.diabetes.org
  • Glyberide (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000833/)
  • Hague, N., et al “Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Lifestyle, Diet and Medicinal Plants”. Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 14 (1): 13-24. 2011.

Massage Therapy

/in , /by

We often recommend massage for physical as well as mental illnesses. It is an optional treatment available at our clinic.

Massage is one of the oldest healing arts: Chinese records dating back 3,000 years document its use; the ancient Hindus, Persians and Egyptians applied forms of massage for many ailments; and Hippocrates wrote papers recommending the use of rubbing and friction for joint and circulatory problems. Massage was however unknown in American society until the 70′s brought it back as a legitimate way to treat physical ailments or just to relax.

Massage therapy has proven beneficial for many chronic conditions, including low back pain, arthritis, bursitis, fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, immune suppression and infertility. It has proven beneficial for smoking cessation, depression, negative body image, stress management, and more. Millions will attest to the benefits of massage for the stress and tension of everyday living that can lead to disease and illness.

Massage is particularly useful for the treatment of eating disorders and addiction.

Massage and bulimia

Therapeutic massage can be an effective part of a bulimia treatment plan. In one study, adolescent women with bulimia were assigned at random either to receive massage therapy for 5 weeks or be in a control group who did not receive massage therapy. The 24 women receiving massage improved immediately, while the control group did not improve. Women in the massage group were less anxious and depressed right after their initial massages. They also had better scores on the Eating Disorder Inventory, which helps providers assess psychological and behavioral traits in eating disorders. It appears that massage is instrumental in forming a positive relationship with one’s body.

Massage and addiction

Massage has been shown to be useful in drug rehabilitation.

The Touch Research Institute in Miami, Florida has performed scientific research documenting the physiological effects of massage on the body. Joni Kosakoski’s 2003 findings indicate that massage is beneficial for decreasing pain, reducing autoimmune responses, enhancing healthy immune responses, increasing alertness and enhancing performance. The Touch Research Institute’s studies furthermore document the ability of massage to decrease anxiety, depression, agitation, and cravings. These effects appear to be related to the ability of massage to reduce cortisol, a stress hormone.

In order to understand the connection between massage therapy and its benefits in addiction treatment, Kosakoski, explains the neurological biochemistry of addiction: “Much attention has been directed to the mesolimbic reward system, the so-called ‘pleasure pathway’ of the brain. The area is activated in part by the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the chemical messenger responsible for making us feel good when we engage in any pleasurable activity. It is well known that dopamine is significantly involved in addiction and that dopamine levels are lower than average during the withdrawal process and into early recovery until brain chemistry normalizes.”

In 1998, the Touch Research Institute published the findings that a regular massage regimen produced increases in dopamine levels. The fact that massage naturally increases dopamine levels, and decreases cortisol levels makes it a perfect addition to a standard detoxification program.

The neurochemistry of an addict takes time to get back into balance, so massage treatments after the initial detoxification phase is crucial. When a person uses a substance to feel good, his/her body stops manufacturing its own “feel good” chemicals, (endorphins), and the substance takes over that task. Therefore, when a person quits using an abused substance, they lose their source of feeling good. Since it takes time for the body to start manufacturing its own endorphins again, this is a challenging interim to endure. This interim is the recovering addict’s most vulnerable time to relapse.

http://www.integrative-healthcare.org/mt/archives/2005/05/massage_the_mis.html

Bodywork techniques

There are many types of massage techniques. Two examples utilized by our practitioners are Myofacial release and Craniosacral therapy.

Myofascial Release

Myofascial Release, a soft tissue therapy, includes structural assessments and manual massage to stretch the fascia and release bonds between fascia, integument, muscles, and bones. It is applied to eliminate pain, increase range of motion and balance the body. The fascia is manipulated, directly or indirectly, which allows the connective tissue fibers to reorganize themselves in a more flexible, functional fashion. In addition, Myofascial Release may be considered a general manual massage technique any “lay person” can use to eliminate general fascial restrictions on a living mammalian body.

The Myofacial system is composed of muscle and fascia. Fascia is a web of connective tissue that covers muscles, organs, and skeletal structures in our body. It is located between the skin and the underlying muscle and bone. Injuries, stress, inflammation, and poor posture can cause restrictions in fascia. Since fascia is an interconnected web, restriction or tightness at one place, with time can spread to other places in the body like a pull in a sweater. When the restriction is released tissue health is restored.

In medical literature, the term ‘myofascial’ was first used by Janet G. Travell M.D. in the 1940s referring to musculoskeletal pain syndromes and trigger points. In 1976 Dr. Travell began using the term “Myofascial Trigger Point” and in 1983 published the famous reference “Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual”. Some practitioners use the term “Myofascial Therapy” or “Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy” referring to the treatment of trigger points.

The term Myofascial Release has been loosely used for different manual therapy, soft tissue manipulation work (connective tissue massage, soft tissue mobilization, Rolfing, strain-counter strain etc). There are two main schools of myofascial release: the direct and indirect method.

http://www.myofascialrelease.com/

Craniosacral therapy

Craniosacral therapy is a subtle energy method that involving very light touch, whereby the practitioner becomes attuned to the subtle rhythms of the clients body. “At a deep level of our physiological functioning all healthy, living tissues subtly “breathe” with the motion of life – a phenomenon that produces rhythmic impulses which can be palpated by sensitive hands.”

Craniosacral therapy was developed by Dr. William Sutherland, an osteopathic physician who developed methods to understand the restrictions that occur in the energy flow of the body and its relation to the subtle flexiblity that occurs in the bones of the skull.

“Contrary to popular belief Dr Sutherland realized that cranial sutures were, in fact, designed to express small degrees of motion. He undertook many years of research during which he demonstrated the existence of this motion and eventually concluded it is essentially produced by the body’s inherent life force, which he referred to as the “Breath of Life.” Furthermore, Dr Sutherland discovered that the motion of cranial bones he first discovered is closely connected to subtle movements that involve a network of interrelated tissues and fluids at the core of the body; including cerebrospinal fluid (the ‘sap in the tree’), the central nervous system, the membranes that surround the central nervous system and the sacrum.”

www.craniosacraltherapy.org