Author: Dr. Morgan C

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Nutrition Uncategorized

Soft Cleanse by OHS

I first heard about OHS a few years ago from a colleague. Optimal Health Systems is supported by Dr. Brimhall and Dr. Harris. Dr Harris is considered the expert in methylation and he uses the methylation and genetics testing kit to get to the root cause of many chronic issues.

I have not attended these seminars but decided that I should take some time to detox my body before my upcoming jaw surgery in the fall.

For the past month I took:

Female +B

Opti-Para

Opti-Mito-Force

Soft Cleanse

This review is on the soft cleanse. It comes in a neat and clean box that allows you to punch out a hole in the bottom and the supplements are on a roll that you tear off each morning and evening. They are labeled morning/evening so you know whether you’ve taken one or two for the day.

Each packet contains 5 pills:

2 FloraPlus

1 Liver Kidney

2 Opti Cleanse and Repair

From OHS website: “The Optimal Soft Cleanse Pak combines two formulas and utilizes a proprietary chlorella herb and patented glutamine blend to aid in cleansing. In addition, it utilizes special pectin fibers, along with nitrogen from glutamine, to aid in the safe removal of debris.”

“Key Ingredients & Their Roles
Licorice Root – Support gut, liver and immune health
Psyllium – Bind to and remove heavy metals
Oat Bran – Promote a healthy colon
Celery – Inflammation reduction
Sweet Potato – Natural anti-inflammatory that promotes liver health
Pectin – Bind to and remove heavy metals
Chlorella – Bind to and remove heavy metals
Jerusalem Artichoke – Help detoxify liver
Barberry Root – Natural detoxifier
Dandelion Root – Encourages removal of toxins through sweat, bile and urine
Milk Thistle – Promote a healthy liver”

www.optimalhealthsystems.com

I’ve had a great experience with this soft cleanse and noticed that several key signs of detox were present.

  1. The smell of my sweat changed and became less pungent.
  2. My face has broken out several times and toxins leave through my skin.
  3. I checked my Zyto score and all of my body systems balanced out.

It’s important to detox every 6 months especially in 2020. We have toxins in water, in the air, in our food, basically every thing we do contributes to our toxic load.

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Health Uncategorized

DIY: Homemade Bug Spray

It’s that time of the year again where the mosquitos are the uninvited guest to our BBQs and we’re the main course.

Most people are very conscientious about using harmful chemicals on their bodies and stay away from products that are linked to endotoxins such as DDT and DEET.  Essential oils have taken center stage as a great product to use for keeping our flying foe at bay.

Here’s a tip for those of you who like to garden, some plants are natural repellants to mosquitos and that includes lemongrass and citronella plant.  If you have a patio that has great sunlight, you can take advantage of this fact and plant some lemongrass and citronella plants around your area.

Homemade Bug Spray

½ cup Distilled water

Natural Witch Hazel

30-50 drops total Essential Oil: Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Cinnamon, Clove, Rosemary, Lavender

  • For this mixture: I recommend using lemongrass as the base and then adding the other oils as you like. 

Spray all over!

Be careful to avoid sensitive areas like eyes, nose and mouth.

Some people are allergic to lavender and therefore you should advise your guests as to what essential oils you used in your mixture.

I also recommend using a glass bottle for storage when using any essential oils

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Health Uncategorized

DIY: Homemade Muscle Rub

If you are a weekend warrior or feeling the aches and pains of growing older then you may be using a lot of muscle creams. These rubs work great to help decrease the muscle pain associated with aging, exercise, or both.

The environmental working group is always on watch for which products can be toxic to our health and if you are choosing which chemicals to put on your body then you should know what’s in these creams.

Most creams use some sort of chemical combination that is similar to aspirin with the idea being that they will decrease inflammation in the area.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is caused by an increase in temperature, red color, and swelling.  These changes to the muscle tissue will cause irritation of the nerve which leads to pain.  When the brain receives the signal from the tissues that they are irritated then the brain will stop whatever activity is causing the problem.

The blood and fluid rush to the area to help provide new materials to repair whatever is broken, whether it is tendons, ligaments, or muscle.

Inflammation that stays too long can become problematic.  Usually this is caused by other issues and I suggest you read up on dietary changes, and supplements to help relieve chronic inflammation.

If you have short term, normal inflammation then applying a gentle muscle cream will alleviate just enough inflammation to help you get on with your day.

DIY: Muscle Cream

1 cup carrier oil

4 drops Ylang ylang oil

4 drops peppermint oil

3 drops spearmint oil

2 drops frankincense oil

Mix together and store in a glass container

Apply to sore area, be sure to stay away from sensitive reproductive tissue, eyes, mouth, and nose.

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Health Uncategorized

DIY: Essential Oil Mouthwash

The Story Behind Essential Oils

Essential oils are quite simply the oil that comes from a plant when you press it extremely hard.  You can extract this oil from herbs, flowers, and roots.  There may be others but these are the most common.  Using plant essential oils has been around as long as there have been plant and human interaction. 

Before the most recent craze of using essential oils for everything from toe fungus to hair serums, we were using essential oils and not even realizing it.  Chewing gum for instance was originally flavored with peppermint or spearmint essential oil. 

Many shamans, natural medicine healers, and early doctors used essential oils quite often to help heal their patients. You might think that we have come a long way since then and why should we go back?

Using Plants in Modern Medicine

Today many great discoveries in medicine are still found using natural plants. There are many botanists, pharmaceutical botanists, medical doctors, and researchers who are looking all over the world for natural cures to diseases and infections.  If nature made it, then surely nature can kill it?

Once a plant, flower or herb is discovered then they bring it back for testing and to learn about its chemical composition.  Let’s say for instance that a plant or herb is very good at curing disease Z, but this plant only grows for 1 month each year on a high up rock in one deserted part of a far away country.  Well then, it only seems natural that we would figure out what makes it so helpful and try to recreate it in a lab.  This would save the natural environment from unnecessary exposure to trucking, development and other unpleasantries.

Since the advent of “modern medicine” this has been the standard practice.  Find something useful and recreate it in a lab for mass production to help as many people as possible.

The Problem with This Solution

There’s always a problem, isn’t there? When we mimic plants and herbs that we find naturally occurring we end up making mirror images of their chemical composition and this doesn’t always mesh the same with our systems.

As the saying goes “nothing like the real thing”. So while, for some very expensive, hard to grow plants and herbs it makes sense to do our best with the chemical copy, when we have the opportunity to grow the ‘real thing’ then we should of course take advantage of this.

The reason this wasn’t always so popular was due to the fact, that making the artificial version has always been more ‘cost effective’ shall we say?

Due to this fact, the corporations making these products decided to go with the artificial version instead and they have been putting some other less desirable additives into these products that we’re consuming as well.

There are so many great website that track this information.  My personal favorite is www.ewg.org .  The environmental working group is committed to providing the general public with the information what is in the products that we are consuming. I think this a great resource for anyone who is concerned. 

Natural DIY Mouthwash with Essential Oils

½ cup distilled water

½ cup 3 % hydrogen peroxide

¼ cup aloe vera juice

10 drops peppermint oil

10 drops spearmint oil

Mix together, store in a glass jar

*do not swallow

Swish in mouth and spit into sink

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Health Uncategorized

Can You Feel the Sunshine?

Cue age of Aquarius “let the sunshine in”, what a great song.  It’s one of those songs that I can play loud with the windows down, the sun shining and the wind blowing through my hair.  Hearing the melody creates feelings of joy and wonder, causing a cascade of happy hormones in my body. 

Hormones are how we feel our surroundings or interpret our external events internally.  It starts with a trigger, it can excite the pathways that create more hormones and this creates a positive feedback loop that will make you crave more. 

Now, this can also create a negative feedback loop that will tell you ‘this wasn’t such a good idea’ and the next time when you feel that same stimulus you will take different action.  Your brain is a computer that is also living and learning and smart.  It will take the input into it and create memories of the stimulus and then determine whether the experience was good or bad for us and tell us what to do the next time the situation arises.

Sunshine

Sun shine is comprised of UVA, UVB and other types of rays that come from the sun.  These can be good for us, as in, vitamin D synthesis and stimulating the positive hormone cascade and they can also be harmful, as in, skin cancer and sun burns.

Sunshine is recommended by most doctors for about 10-15 minutes a day and when it hits your skin, you get an immediate sense of well-being and health.  This is because your body is creating new, good hormones in the case of vitamin D.  We know that vitamin D is good for our health: cardiovascular, bone health, and other systems.

We also know that if we stay in the sun too long we can get sun burns.

Sun burns

Sun burns happen when we have prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun.  These rays of ultraviolet light are called UVA and UVB rays.  In small doses these may be harmless but in large doses they can burn our skin. 

We have receptors in our skin that tell us what is going on around us so that we can perceive our environment and then make changes based on that perceived information.  So, let’s say for instance, that we are standing on the ground in Los Angeles and we start to feel the ground move, what you are actually feeling is the proprioception receptors in your skin and joints that sense vibration.  These sensors tell you that the ground is shaking, more than just a large truck is passing by.  Your brain then taps into these memories and says this feels like an earthquake and we better take cover.  Or maybe it can compare it to all past experiences and say this isn’t like anything we’ve experienced before and this must be an earthquake. 

Sun burns work that same way, at some point, your skin’s temperature receptors will say this is warm and nice.  Then it will get hot and then it will signal to the brain, “hey, I’m burning here”.  Because sun burns are actually burns of the skin. So when you get a sun burn you are burning your skin.  This is not healthy for the body and the body will tell you to protect yourself.  Either move indoors away from the sun or cover up your burning flesh.

How to tell the difference

Safety is number one! Unless you have suffered a sun burn before you will not have a memory of when the sun on your skin much for your body is too to handle.  In this case, it is better to use some sunscreen to protect your skin from a sun burn.

I know some people are against sun screen and in that case it is best to wear light linen or cotton clothing to protect your skin from excessive sun exposure.  Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your face and eyes. 

Always have extra layers of clothing if you are going to be out in the sun for long periods of time.  It is very hard to tell the difference between good sun and too much sun.  Once you feel your skin burning, it is too late and you will have already started to burn the epidermis.

So do not wait until you feel the burn.

Types of sun block to wear

The best type of sun block is the one with the least amount of additives.  The environmental working group at ewg.org has been resources for finding the least toxic sunscreens.  They have brands that are EWG certified and will help you to find the one that’s right for you.

As far as the numbers go, SPF 15, 30, 45, 50, 75.  That only signifies how many minutes of sun protection you will have.  For instance, SPF 15 is 15 minutes of sun protection, whereas 75 is 75 minutes. Some people think that if they put on SPF 50 that they will have less of a chance of getting burned and this is simply NOT TRUE. 

Personally, I use SPF 15 and above on most days and most dermatologists recommend SPF 30 and above.

Clothing

If you are very sensitive to the sun and can feel the sun even on a cloudy day then I recommend wearing UPF clothes during summer.  UPF stands for ultraviolet protection factor and this is built into the cloth.

This is meant to prevent the ultraviolet rays from penetrating the linen or cotton fibers and reaching your skin. 

This is highly advisable if you have a sun allergy, sun sensitivity, or are prone to skin cancers.

Conclusion

Most people can feel the sunshine just like the song says.  Most of the time it is a good thing to feel the sun on our skin and know our body is hard at work making our vitamin D to protect us from very bad diseases.  If however, you are out for too long in the sun then remember to cover up and protect your skin from sun burns.

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Health Uncategorized

Is Garlic Good for You?

What is garlic?

Garlic is known ubiquitously throughout the world as the powerful herb that will ward off vampires when used in large quantities. Simply string it around your neck, chow down on a handful of garlic cloves and protection guaranteed!

What about your health? Nowadays people want to know if garlic is good for skin, gut health, heart health, fighting parasites and so much more.

I think the renewed interest is in part due to the uncertain circumstances that we now find ourselves in throughout the United States and world. I myself have been gardening since I was a child and continue the tradition now that I’m in my thirties (shhhh….don’t tell).  Garlic grows well in the garden and can be cultivated from a single clove, or so I think and am currently trying this experiment in my own garden.

It is also a strong repellant of squirrels, who have tried to invade our home every fall and spring for the last few years.  The squirrels also try to burrow into our raised garden bed.  This year we have outsmarted our rodent friends and have placed garlic cloves strategically in the corners of the beds. We will see who has the last laugh!

I digress, garlic is a herb that is grown in varying climates. It’s related to the onion and leek family.  Some think it’s origin is Siberia but that is unconfirmed.

Besides vampire repellant it is used for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis and parasite cleansing.

Garlic’s effect in the body

Garlic is good for you if you are looking to make improvements in your cardiovascular health. It produces allicin. 

Funny enough, allicin is what gives garlic it’s distinctive odor so if you have a garlic product that is ‘odorless’ then that means it has been aged and the allicin is less effective.  Be careful as this may have unintended consequences.  You may have odorless garlic if you are taking it in pill form and in that case be sure to get the enteric coated kind.  ‘Enteric coated’ just means that the pill will withstand the harsh environment of your stomach so that the full benefit can be received in the gut.

Atherosclerosis

This is a biggie because no one wants to have a heart attack or anything of the sort.  If you are concerned about hardening of your arteries and want to know if garlic is good for you then you’re in luck.  There are very little side effects from garlic so you can try it and see how it works for you.  More than likely you will not know if it’s working but if you don’t have a major event (heart attack) then it did it’s job.

Garlic seems to work better for women than men. The suggested serving is to take a garlic supplement twice daily for 24 months.

Diabetes

Blood sugar handling seems to be a level playing field.  No matter whether you have blood sugar problems or not, everyone can benefit from having garlic during their meal. 

Research suggests that over the course of at least 3 months a regular addition of garlic to your meal will help to reduce pre-meal blood sugar levels.

High Cholesterol

The research is a bit confused when it comes to cholesterol and garlic.  Honestly, the research is a bit confused on cholesterol in general so this is not shocking.

If you have concerns about cholesterol and aren’t buying into the whole proven physiology that your liver controls cholesterol and it’s necessary for healthy brain function and you’re really worried about it then take some garlic, as it can’t hurt.

High Blood Pressure

This one is no brainer.  Garlic has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by 7-9 mmHg and diastolic by about 4-6 mmHg, those are your top and bottom numbers respectively. 

Unproven Areas

If you are concerned about cancers, colds, obesity, swelling and other areas of concern there does not seem to be enough proof, yet.  Obviously garlic has many positive outcomes and is not a cure all for all conditions.

It is listed as mostly safe when taken internally but consult your doctor before you begin a garlic supplementation regimen.

Conclusion

Garlic is good for you.  There is a very small downside to taking garlic and it seems to help the cardiovascular system quite a bit.

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Fitness Uncategorized

How to: Fix Abs after a Baby

measuring abs with tape measure

Congratulations! You’ve just welcome a shiny new human onto planet earth and that is really amazing.  You’ve spent nine months growing another living being and now you will be taking care of said being for next 18 years or so. 

After giving birth and especially after multiple births many moms notice that their abs start to separate.  This is particularly problematic because you can do thousands of sit ups or crunches and not get those to cooperate.

If you are one of the many moms out there having this problem, then please try my modified dead bug routine. 

I modified this from the traditional dead bug routine.

I don’t have any pictures yet but we will have some soon.

Dr. Crowley’s Modified Dead Bug Progression

Phase 1

Lay flat on your back with your arms flat by your sides and knees bent, feet flat on the floor

Raise one knee keeping a 90-90 bend at the hip and knee, as you do so, tighten your abdominal muscles as if bracing

Hold for 30 seconds

Bring that foot back to the floor and raise the opposite knee, brace the abdominals

Hold for 30 seconds

Bring that foot back to the floor, now raise your arm up straight back by your head so its flat on the ground with your fingers pointing towards the wall behind you

Hold for 30 seoncds

Bring that arm down and repeat with the other arm

Phase 2

Begin in the starting position with knees bent, feet flat on the ground, arms at your side

Raise opposite knee to 90-90 and opposite arm, above your head at the same time, brace the abdominals

Hold for 30 seconds

Bring the knee and arm back down, and raise opposite knee, opposite arm

Hold for 30 seconds

Phase 3

Begin in the starting position with knees bent, feet flat on the ground, arms at your side

Raise opposite knee but this time stretch the leg out to a 45 degree angle with the floor and raise opposite arm

Hold for 30 seconds

Bring arm and leg back to neutral starting position and repeat with opposite arm and opposite leg

Hold for 30 seconds

  1. Spend 1-2 weeks performing each exercise 4-5 times a week
  2. Stop any exercise if you feel pain
  3. Always consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise program

Questions? E-mail me at info@morganc13.sg-host.com and I’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

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Atlas Orthogonal Patient Manual

Welcome!

Congratulations on starting your journey to health.  We are so excited that you have decided to delve into the realm of spinal health and expressing true wellness.

The spine has been neglected for too many years in mainstream medicine and we are here to remedy that problem.

Many people have experienced issues related to their spine and nerves without even realizing. 

  • Numbness
  • Tingling
  • Weakness
  • Stabbing Pain
  • Shooting Pain
  • Dull/ Aches
  • Changes in temperature, vibration
  • Migraines
  • Headaches

All of these are symptoms having to do with pressure on the nerves as they relate to the spine. 

The function of the vertebral column/spinal column is to act as a moveable protective encasement for the very delicate central nervous system. 

Central Nervous System– Brain and Spinal Cord

Peripheral Nervous System– Nerves after they have exited the spine and are in route to organs, muscles, and joints

The brain obviously has the best protection of all with the skull.

Spinal Degeneration

Even though the spine is made to protect the spinal cord and nerves sometimes things don’t go as planned.

Falls, accidents, and injuries can damage the ligaments that hold the bones together.

Each vertebra connects to other vertebrae through an interlocking mechanism and maintain movement by strong ligaments that hold the whole structure together as we bend, rotate, and move through life.

When we have a fall, accident, or injury we damage the ligaments that hold the vertebrae together.  Unfortunately, ligaments do not have good healing properties.  This means that when we damage them, they tend to stay somewhat damaged.

There are new regenerative medicines such as prolotherapy, and stem cell therapy. 

Regenerative Medicine

  • Attempts to heal tissues that are otherwise hard to heal
  • Prolotherapy – injections into the ligaments using ozone or glucose solution
  • Stem Cell Therapy- Injections into the ligaments using stem cells from your own body

Most of the time the body can heal itself from injuries; however, sometimes the body needs help and that’s where atlas orthogonal comes in. 

The most moveable bone in the body is the atlas bone and it connects to the skull via very tiny mounds on the bottom of the skull called condyles and to the rest of the spine via the axis bone

Accidents, injuries, micro traumas will cause the bones to ‘subluxate’ which is when they move out of alignment in such a way that they cannot get back into alignment.

Once the atlas and axis move out of alignment, they cause the rest of the spine to move out of alignment. The problem is when we let this sit there for years and years.  So, it’s pretty easy to understand that the longer it’s been out of place you are more likely to be in a later stage of degeneration.

Phase 1:  5-10 years

Phase 2:  10-15 years

Phase 3: 15-20 years

Phase 4: 20 + years

Atlas Orthogonal Treatment

Atlas orthogonal treatment cannot reverse the process of aging.  Unfortunately, science in general has not found a way to reverse the aging process in the spine.

This treatment is designed to realign the top two bones also called the cranio cervical junction. 

After your first or second treatment we will take a post film to check your progress.  This post film should show improvement from the original misalignment.

At this point, we will know if the ‘formula’ that we have derived from your x-rays is going to work for you. 

If there is not a marked improvement in the atlas bone at this step then we will re-calculate your atlas formula based on the changes between the pre and post film and attempt re-alignment again.

How long does this take?

Great question and that mostly depends on you.

This is a program that you must take seriously. The amount of effort that you put forth with determine the level of success you achieve. I will lay out some very simple but strict ground rules for you to follow and they must be maintained.

  1. No slouching – maintain good upright posture and make this a habit over the next 90 days.
  2. For every inch your head moves forward that multiplies the weight of the head on the neck, so if your head is one inch forward that will cause an extra 10-15 pounds on the next, if you head is two inches forward then that will cause an extra 30 lbs on the neck
  3. The same is also true for the low back but instead of 10-15 lbs were talking about an extra 50-60lbs on the low back. More if you are overweight or obese
  4. Sleep on your back or side. If you cannot commit to side or back sleeping then we recommend you do not start the program.  Stomach sleeping leads to premature again of the spine due to the extreme stress the neck is under while you are unconscious.  Stomach sleeping will lead to many many problems and it will immediately throw your adjustment out of alignment.
  5. No rollercoasters, no atvs, no extreme sports or activities. During the initial 90 days of treatment it is advisable that you do not participate in any activity that may lead to whiplash as this is damaging to the ligaments in the cervical spine, which we are trying to heal. It is recommended that you look at this period of time as one of healing. Pretend as if you have had neck surgery and try to move and operate from this mentality.  Would you go on a rollercoaster after having neck surgery? I don’t think so, so why would you now?
  6. Proper nutrition- what you eat affects so much of your body.  You need proper amount of good carbohydrates, good fats, and good protein.  Eat as much as you can organically and fresh farm food. Stay away from commercially grown produce, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol and other foods that are harmful to your health. 
  7. Remember you are trying to heal your body and this means giving your body healthy building blocks for growth.
  8. Rest- your body heals while you are sleeping. 8-10 hours of sleep is necessary for a healthy body. Remember to get to sleep early and to turn off electronics 3 hours before going to bed.
  9. Shift workers- do your best, turn off electronics, use blocking shades for the sun and support your body with good food and water
  10. Avoid sugar, flour, carbonated beverages, soda, and all other items that are not condusive to a healthy body
  11. Eat in moderation. Remember that your body can only handle so much at any one time.  Only provide what your body can handle.  If you are burping a lot that means you are eating too fast and consuming air with your food. SLOW DOWN.  Eat slowly, mindfully and listen when your body tells you are full.
  12. Learn to garden- no matter your living situation you can begin to garden.  There are gardening guides for apartments, townhomes, and homes, find your niche.  Herbs are a great way to start and they have many benefits to supply. Herbs are very medicinal and soothing to the body.

Exercise

For the first 90 days it is advisable to stay away from heavy lifting due to the fact that most people at some point have over developed some muscles due to their structural imbalances

Allowing muscle mass is reduce during the initial 90 days helps to reset the body and prepare for regrowth

The body needs a physiological rest during your healing phase, meaning that we need to allow the body to take a break and focus on what’s most important- healing your spine. If your body is in a state of constant physical stress with exercise then you will not be able to use your valuable resources on healing your body.

After your first 30 days in the program, the doctor may give you specific exercises to work on to help with certain weak areas

In general most people have very tight hamstrings and very weak gluteal muscles so it is recommended that people

Squat daily at least 25 times in the am and pm – do it while brushing your teeth and watch yourself in the mirror to maintain good posture

Bend down and try to touch your toes for 2 minutes every day

Standing doorway stretch for pectoralis muscles- stand with your arms in the door way and lean forward in order to stretch your pecs

Chin tucks- the chin muscles are often the most neglected muscles in the neck and lead to sagging ‘turkey neck’ every day you must chin tuck for at least 2 minutes a day to strengthen these muscles and this will help to relax the back of the neck muscles

Walking everyday is the best way to get cardiovascular exercise without damaging the spinal alignment until postural muscles strengthen

Nutrition

Water- you must drink ½ your body weight in ounces every day that means that you must drink 100 ounces of water every day if you are 200 pounds

No snacking at night before bed.  Stop eating at least 1 hour before bed

Chew your food 30 times before swallowing

Eat whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, organic meat and wild caught seafood

Stay away from packaged foods including breads, rices, grains, sugars, added sugars such as fructose, high fructose corn syrup, candies, sugary beverages, alcohol

Inflammation

So many people are inflamed systemically in their bodies due to poor dietary choices

Curcumin in turmeric

Green tea

Supplements

Vitamin D3 / K2

Melatonin

Omega 3, 6 essential fatty acids

Vitamin Bs – all of them

Alcohol

None

If you’re going to have some then organic red wine or clear potato based vodka- lower in sugar, no gluten, and less chance of toxic damage

Screen time

Get off your cell-phone at night

And ipad

And computer

You should not be looking down at your cell phone or ipad at any time of the day with your head held down – this puts a tremendous amount of strain on your body

Also stop using electronics 3 hours before bed

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Nutrition Uncategorized

Everything You Must Know About: Vitamin C

Best ways to get vitamin C

IV

Intravenous vitamin C dosage is gaining widespread popularity both domestically (here in the US) and throughout the world.  What started as ‘holistic’ care is becoming more mainstream through the use of cancer centers and the like.  Naturopathic doctors and functional medicine doctors were the first to use intravenous vitamin C after it was discovered by Linus Pauling in the 1970s. 

Pauling the noted Nobel Prize winner used IVC with cancer patients to increase survival times in those with advanced cancer.  Later in 2006 the Canadian medical association journal showed three reports of cases where the cancer went into remission through the use of IVC therapy.

The most recent studies look at tumor growth, quality of life and containing the effects of chemotherapy.

Oral Vs IVC

Intravenous vitamin C goes straight to the bloodstream whereas oral vitamin C must work its way through the gastrointestinal system.  The intestinal system has the capacity to absorb 250 micromoles by contrast the IVC can bring levels to as high as 30 millimoles.

If dosing using the oral method the maximum suggested is 3 grams, 4 times per day. 

How does Vitamin C kill cancer cells?

This is meant to induce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species, hydrogen peroxide which will kill the tumor/cancer cells.  In a normal functioning cell hydrogen peroxide is metabolized into water and oxygen.  Tumor cells on the other hand lack catalase leaving them vulnerable to the cytotoxic effects of HP.

What does that all mean?  Vitamin C kills bad cells and gives healthy cells more oxygen.   

Another bonus: tumor cells take in more vitamin C compared to normal cells via facilitated transport, specifically glucose transports. 

Cancer cells have more glucose transports because they need more glucose to function. 

Cancer lives off glucose AKA sugar!

Is it Safe?

Yes. It has a high safety profile.

Why isn’t this more widely talked about?

Its not patentable.  You can buy vitamin C at any store and its cheap.

This means big companies can’t make a lot of money off vitamin C therapy so they don’t research it or even talk about the very effective research that has been done.

Considerations

Vitamin C therapy is gaining traction throughout the world and needs more research for further applications.  As always, we should be careful about the ways in which we get our vitamins and minerals.  Making sure that we vet each source and strive the highest quality available.

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Nutrition Uncategorized

The Ultimate Guide: Vitamin D

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that comes from cholesterol.  Since, I was a young child I have heard that you must go outside to get your daily dose of vitamin D.  So does it come from the sun or does it come from cholesterol?

The answer is both-

Vitamin D is not naturally occurring in many foods, so our bodies came up with an ingenious plan to harness the sun for our own benefit.

Once our skin is exposed to ultraviolet B light we begin to synthesize the vitamin D that we can use.  If you are a sun worshipper and feel recharged by the sun, this may be why.

Key point- the biologically inactive version that starts the process only has a half life of 12-16 hours.  That means that our liver must make great use of what we provide before it’s gone. 

So as you guessed, the next stop in the pathway is the liver where it is converted to 25-hydroxy vitamin D, 25(OH)D.  This is the form that’s most often measured in blood work.  This form of vitamin D can survive much longer and has a half life of three weeks.

Next stop is the kidney where it is converted into it’s biologically active form of 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D also known as calcitriol. 

Calcitriol is the form of vitamin D that can enter target cells and bind to vitamin D receptors.

Main Function of Vitamin D

The main function of vitamin D is to maintain the balance between calcium and phosphate levels in the blood.  These levels are responsible for bone health and connected to over 900 genes involved in many processes throughout the body.

Vitamin D is considered an essential vitamin and deficiencies can be associated with mood, memory, cardiovascular disorders, metabolic disorders, cancer, hypertension, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

When working together with calcium, vitamin D can also help to protect against osteoporosis.

Levels of Vitamin D

Deficient = <20ng/ml

Insufficient = 20-30 ng/ml

Excess = >100 ng/ml

Intoxication = >150 ng/ml

Where is Vitamin D?

Like I said previously, vitamin D can be synthesized by exposing the skin to ultraviolet B rays from the sun. Can you overdose on vitamin D from the sun? The answer is NO! Your body has many protective mechanisms and this is one.  Your skin will not allow you to absorb or convert more previtamin D3 than you need.

It’s also found in fish skin such as tuna and salmon and fish liver oils, cod liver oil anyone?  You may also find it in some animal sources such as beef liver, eggs, and cheese.

Back in the 1930’s the united states government went to work to combat vitamin deficiencies and the fortification program was born.  This helped to combat many childhood diseases that used to plague children in socio-economic disadvantaged areas. Rickets is one such disease that is clearly linked to vitamin D deficiency.

Immune Response

Vitamin D has a very profound effect on the immune response.  Scientists are currently researching it’s link to lupus, autoimmune thyroid disease, diabetic nephropathy, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Monocytes and macrophages are the first line of defense against outside invaders in the body.  They increase anti-microbial activity.   A deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to an impaired ability of macrophages to mature, decreases production of macrophage specific surface antigens, decreased lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase and decreased secretion of hydrogen peroxide.

It helps to decrease inflammation, which is a good thing. 

Overall, vitamin D plays an important role in the immune system and science is beginning to understand just how important that role is to our health.

Considerations

You should talk to your doctor about vitamin D supplementation before beginning any program.  Also, if you are taking corticosteroids as these can reduce calcium absorption and inhibit the metabolism of vitamin D.   Many people taking these steroids are warned about the risk of possible osteoporosis.  Persons taking weight loss drugs, and some cholesterol lowering drugs should also talk their doctor.