Stress and Cardiovascular Health: A Wholistic look at Cholesterol

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   Eat Qualitative, healthy food
   
   

   There are many misconceptions about what causes high cholesterol and heart attacks, and it is important to clarify the myriad of factors involved in causing them. Although we ingest cholesterol from over processed food sources and fatty meats, this is only one factor as to why we suffer from "high cholesterol." The fact that most just simply avoid "high fat" foods believing this will lower cholesterol is a misnomer. This common approach has caused a whole generation of individuals to be deficient in omega 3 fatty acids, which is a leading cause in arthritis.

   
   

   In fact, cholesterol is a fat molecule that is created by our liver. It is the precursor to steroidal hormones, it manufactures vitamin D, and it repairs damaged tissue, which confirms the importance and need for healthy cholesterol levels. When LDL cholesterol is seen in high percentage within our blood stream, it is not just because we have taken it in from high fat foods and is now clogging our arteries. It is due to several complex factors, which stem from within our bodies for the most part.

   
   

   One of the main and unknown factors of high cholesterol is emotional and/or psychological stress for extended periods of time. This extensive stress affects our physical body by constantly expanding our arteries to create more blood flow to help mobilize us for the stressful situation. We are in a typical flight or fight response, which becomes a problem when it is chronic, and goes on for longer than a momentary period in time. This extensive response causes our system to become overloaded.

take time to relax, every day in some small way!

The chronic overloading of the cardiovascular system creates small tears in the arteries and veins, just like when we over work our muscles. It is now up to our liver to create the cholesterol to help repair these tears. One of cholesterol's most important jobs is as a repairing agent. Now here is the kicker, because we are constantly under stress, we are constantly destroying our venous system, thus our liver has to work over-time to keep repairing this damage. Therefore, from a strictly bio chemical perspective, this is the main reason we have an over abundance of cholesterol in our systems. 

By the time most people are in their late 20's they have some degree of liver damage which creates an unbalanced liver and  cleansing system. This means the liver is creating cholesterol but is too exhausted to clear up all the excess, thus you are  now stuck in a catch 22!

So how do we prevent or fix this? Instead of trying to kill the messenger- cholesterol by using all kinds of suppressive medications, why not actually work on the multitude of reasons your body is trying to fix itself?

First begin to be aware of your stress level and find ways to eliminate or reduce it. Even if you can't immediately change the causation of the stress, you can do things to help you deal with the stress more efficiently so as to reduce the damage to your body. 

1. When you are aware that you are feeling stressed during the day, take a few minutes to do some deep breathing. Take full deep breathes in to your abdomen, be sure that your out breathe is longer than the in breathe since the out breathe is the relaxing one.  
2. There are a number of different homeopathic remedies that can be employed to help you release stress, the key is to find out what you stress about and how it affects you. Two of the top remedies I employ are Aconite and Ignatia. When dealing with mental and emotional issues it is always best to start with these remedies at a 1M potency and go up from there. Another great support product is the Bach flower rescue remedy bit.ly/5bXr
3. Try to empty your mind of any unwanted thoughts that are helping feed the stress. If you can not do anything about the problem you are stressing about right now then let it go! Come back to it when you are more able to fully deal with it.If you have trouble simply emptying your mind then find something positive to focus on for a few minutes and allow the good emotions that go along with it to well up within you. This will distract you from the old negative thought for a while to allow your stress level to go down.
4. Clean up your diet, removing any over processed foods and foods that are fried or full of bad fats. As this only adds more stress to your digestive system, which your liver is a part of!
5. Cleanse your liver, gallbladder and bowels so that they are working more efficiently. By taking a high potency- 30 to 60 billion count of a multi probiotic, you will enhance your immune system and replenish your bowel with good healthy productive bacteria. To cleanse your liver, work with Chinese herbal bitters that are specific to helping open up and clean out toxins from your liver and gallbladder. Homeopathic remedies that can help are; Chelidonium, Nux Vomica, Lycopodium.
6. Get some exercise! Any form of exercise will help release endorphins, which help to lift your mood and make you feel good. Exercise also releases tension, provided you are not over-extending yourself during your exercise.
7. Add some support supplements for adrenal stress, bit.ly/wqSNLO. A high B supplement taken according to manufacturing standards will also go a long way to helping you cope with stress in a more level manor.

Every organ and organ system is essential in its own way. Being aware of your own body and how it functions in both health and illness will go a long way in helping you to make corrective decisions in time to maintain your own true health.

Get outside, breathe deeply today and enjoy life.

In True Whole Health, 

Andrea

Spring Green Smoothies

Spring is the best time to detox for several reasons.

1. With the  increase in light our bodies switch in to more activity.
2. This increase in need for energy may not happen if our body is full of toxins and old waste by-products from an over sedentary winter along with an excessive intake of wrong food and drink!

www.thenewsurvivalist.com

So  my simple suggestion is to take at least one step to increase your health and energy; Add an energy rich green smoothie to your morning.

Here is my latest spring tonic! Feel free to change it up in what ever way appeals to you.

Remember to use only clean organic products.

1 Apple any type, I use Gala or Mac's, be sure to take our the core but leave the skin
3 Celery stalks with leaves
1 handful of Kale, green or black
1 handful of dandelion greens
1 banana
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
Then add your favorite blend of protein powder, right now I am using -http://www.ruthshempfoods.com/products/protein-powders.html
Add 2 cups of fresh clean filtered water and blend in a high speed blender until as smooth as possible. 

Drink at least one glass first thing in the morning before any thing else, well actually you can brush your teeth and have some water first : )
This should make enough for 3 full sized glasses. It would be best to drink all three in one day since the enzymes will break down over the next 24 hours even if refrigerated.
Try to do this for at least 21 days to get the best results.

enjoy!

Andrea

How to Have a Good Night Sleep

Sleep problems are far too common today. The inability to get a good night sleep is incredibly detrimental to our health and well being. So many people today are functioning every day on far too little or poor quality sleep.

Sleep is necessary so that our nerve sense system can rest and repair. Our upper, more cosmic aspect of our whole being is our thoughts/beliefs and emotions. These two aspects of our Selves takes a tole on us while we are awake and functioning consciously. The Nerves are always in a state of constant activity in order to keep us awake. This constant activity wears down our nerve sense system. The only way for this system to rest and repair is during our sleep, when it can completely shut down.

If you are not getting a full, deep sleep then you are not ever fully restoring your nerve sense system, which in turn manages the energy of our thoughts and emotions. Ever wonder why when you have a crappy sleep you feel so miserable the next day!

What causes sleep disturbances?

There are of course a number of reasons we can not "let go" in order to sleep fully.  There may be physical or mental, emotional reasons.

Physical disturbances that can interrupt our sleep can come in many forms. One of the most basic is being cold at night. As we sleep our body temperature naturally drops. If you are not covered properly or have left a window open, then getting a chill while sleeping may cause you to go in to a semi-sleep state leaving you unrefreshed in the morning. Another culprit is our digestion. Our digestive system takes the most energy of any thing we do. When we ask our body to digest and process food or drink later in the day, it is actually a heavy burden on our whole body. Try to eat most of your nutrients earlier in the day and eat more lightly in the evening, preferably have nothing after 8 pm.
Trying to clean up your inner digestive organs will also go a long way in improving you sleep. If you wake between midnight and 3 am, look to your kidneys as being over loaded, and interrupting your sleep. If you generally wake between 3 and 5 am then doing some liver, gallbladder cleansing would be a good place to start. As always when doing any cleansing it is best to take a probiotic to support the bowels so that they can properly clear away the toxins.
Another physical reason behind sleep problems is pain. However that is a topic for another blog!

One of the bigger reasons people have trouble letting go to sleep, is due to the fact that they are over loaded with unprocessed thoughts and emotions. These unprocessed issues may be recent or of long standing. If they are recent events and you are working through something, then this sleep disturbance should resolve once your conflict has been resolved.  If however, you have had problems sleeping for a long period of time and toss and turn due to thoughts running through your head, then the issue is deep seated. If your sleep issues are chronic/long standing then I would highly suggest you talk with a Natural Health Care practitioner who is able to help you fully understand the state and what is necessary to help you release it fully.

Here are some of the most common Homeopathic remedies that help resolve emotional or mental conflicts related to sleep problems;

Ignatia &/or Natrum muriaticum for grief related issues. If you are suffering from unresolved grief you may be experiencing frontal headaches, a desire to yawn a lot, either insomnia or a desire to sleep all the time, heaviness in your chest and of course a desire to cry at any time.

Aconite, Gelsemium &/or Argentum Nitricum for fear or shock related issues. If the shock was extensive or specific, there may be larger remedies required to resolve the shock. One way to know that you are still suffering from a shocking event is the constant feeling of anxiety or dread along with an inability to focus your thoughts, time passes slowly. Most Shock induced sleep issues are narcolepsy, snoring, sleep apnea or complete sleeplessness.

Staphysagria is a wonderful remedy to help release most anger or frustration, along with the remedy Sepia. A lot of people are unaware that they continue to carry their anger in life. Be attentive to your emotions daily and if you find you feel, flat or depressed, sleepy all day but not at night, or are easily frustrated by events then the odds are you are hanging on to unresolved anger. There are of course more specific remedies to help depending on the individual and what they need to work through. However, starting with these main remedies may help alleviate your sleep issue enough for the time being.

Lachesis &/or Hyoscyamus are remedies specific to resentments and jealousy. If you have recently experienced either of these emotions and are having trouble getting a good night sleep due to constant waking, then working with either of these may help you to fully release this state and let you move past it.

When working with Homeopathic remedies for emotional and/or mental problems, it is always best to start with a 200 ch potency and work up. Be sure to take the remedy in the morning as well as the evening. In this way you will be helping your whole body release the inner trauma gently and efficiently. The best way to know the remedy is effective, is to be aware of the specific symptoms you have been having prior to taking the remedy. Then be attentive to what symptoms have been alleviated, over the first few days of using a remedy. If nothing has shifted in 3 days then you have not chosen the right remedy.
Purchasing a book that explains remedies and their action would be a huge benefit for you in making an informed choice.
Here is one of my favorite books - http://www.minimum.com/index.htm

Happy sleep hunting!

Andrea

A Wholistic Look at Eye Health

To physically see and experience life through our eyes is truly an amazing gift. Thus, it is important to take care of our eyes and understand some of the things that can harm them along with ways to keep them strong and healthy.

The most obvious injury, is from external objects that can scratch or damage our eye. Most people have at some time or another had a scratch on the eye from a dust particle, or stick and so on. These are quite painful initially, and it is always wise to go to the doctor to have it assessed to make sure there is nothing seriously injured. The eye, like our mouth and tongue are the two quickest organs to heal, due to the overabundance of nerves and blood vessels. To help the eye in the first couple days, use simple saline drops to keep the eye moist. Keep it closed or covered and use some trauma remedies like arnica and aconite at a 30 or 200 ch (Internally, not directly in the eye!).

                                                                         

 A a black eye resulting from a hard blow, is treated successfully with the homeopathic - Symphytum for the bone damage and Ledum for the black eye at a 30 or 200ch. During the initial stages always take remedies at least one dose every 10 to 15 minutes for 4 to 6 hours or until  your symptoms seem to ease. Then slowly reduce the use of the remedy as needed for relief.

Conjunctivitis or Pink eye is a common inflammatory reaction that is seen in both children and adults.  Many things can trigger this condition such as a common cold that gets transferred to the eye via our germ covered hand. Pink eye can be viral or bacterial, and both have their own degree of symptoms. This is a great web site that defines both - http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/conjunctivitis.htm

Once again, natural saline drops - http://www.similasanusa.com/, will help palliatively and soothe the eye initially. You can also buy special eye drops that have low dose specific homeopathics in them to help speed up the healing. The best homeopathic remedies to heal Pink eye are; Euphrasia, Aconite and Apis, which can be taken in combination, either at a 30ch or 200ch potency and used every 15 minutes until your symptoms begin to improve. As your symptoms improve, you can lessen the number of times you use the remedies. Furthermore, you can eliminate the remedies if you feel you no longer need them, or until all symptoms are gone.

Chronic eye problems  such as glaucoma, cataracts, floaters and weak vision generally come from poor diet, stress and aging.

Most of these conditions can be greatly reduced by knowing what the causation is on all levels and doing what is required to rectify it. From my experience, all chronic degeneration stems from poor diet as well as an overload of emotional and mental stress. It is best to seek help from a Natural Health Care Practitioner in order to understand exactly how diet, mental and emotional stress can individually be causing these symptoms. They will then recommend what is required to make improvements in order to stop the degeneration process takes.

As with all chronic conditions, the longer the damage has gone on and the older you are the harder it is to recover the tissue. 

If you have been recently diagnosed with one of these conditions then the best place to start is by cleaning up your diet! 

1. Eliminate foods that most people react to like wheat, dairy and sugar. 

2. Eliminate alcohol, carbonated drinks and caffeine.

3. Begin a gentle cleansing of your internal organs and de-stress them. 

4. Drink more clean filtered water and add lemon to help balance your ph levels.

5. Go and find a qualified Natural Health Practitioner or Dynamic Physician who can help you further understand what is triggering your symptoms and help you design a plan to begin removing the load that is causing this damage.

What is a Homeopathic remedy?

IMAGE SOURCE PAGE: http://rochesterwellnessguide.com/homeopathy/homeopathy.html

A homeopathic remedy is a substance that has been produced through a very strict manufacturing procedure called succussion and dilution.

To make a homeopathic remedy, you take any substance and break it down through maceration; the process of softening or wearing away a material by wetting it or steeping it in a liquid. 

iMAGE SOURCE PAGE: http://www.nutrition-health-supplements.com/homeopathic-remedies.htm                                                        

Once the substance is dissolved in a liquid, then the process can begin. If the substance is insoluble, then it will be ground down in to a powder of lactose or milk sugar.

To make a "ch" or centesimal potency, you take one drop of the original substance that has been macerated in to a liquid. You then place this drop in to a clean glass container that has 99 drop mixture of pure water and alcohol in a 70/30% dilution. This first dilution is succussed or agitated aggressively (in the old days they where succussed by hand, but today are done by machines) This violent agitation creates a highly diluted substance where the original material is diffused into all parts of the liquid. This agitation also "fires up" the energetic will forces of that substance. This original dilution is termed a Mother Tincture or stock. 

IMAGE SOURCE PAGE: http://nhltoxicloadgreenliving.blogspot.com/2011/09/reduce-use-of-toxic-drugs-with.html

To make a 1 ch potency, one drop is taken from the Mother Tincture and is succussed in 99 drops of water/alcohol for a set number of times. This repetition of diluting and succussing is what creates the potencies.

Most potencies you see in your local health food stores will be 12 ch, 30 ch or 200ch. These potencies are most effective for every day physical health conditions like coughs, sore throats, fever, etc. Natural Health Care Practitioners will use this scale as well as higher dilutions like 1M, which means a dilution of 1:99 drops succussed 1000 times. The higher you go in potency, the more energetic and dynamic the substance becomes. This dynamic medicine, will be more effective at our soul/spiritual or mental/emotional level. Thus, when looking at a remedy to help with an intense emotional trauma, it is best to start with a 1M instead of a 12, 30 or 200 ch. 

There is another scale that is quite often seen in health food stores, and it can lead to a lot of confusion about potency and which one to use; this is the x scale. This is a much less diluted scale, since it is diluted in 1 drop substance to 9 drops of water/alcohol. This scale, even when diluted and succussed to a 1MX/1000x is still highly physical in its action. This is due to the fact that there is still some form of the physical substance available in it. If used for a long period, it can cause aggravations at the physical level. Once the ch scale is above a 12ch, there is no physical substance left! Thus, the ch remedies are much safer used over longer periods and for individuals who have chronic health concerns.

The x scale must be used with proper care and only for short periods of time, similar to any chemical substance like drugs and herbs.

If you are new to homeopathy and would like to use a safe natural medicine to help you and your children over come many acute health problems such as, coughs, colds, flus, fevers, ear aches and so on. The ideal potency for acute illness is usually a 200ch. If for some reason you can only get a 12ch or 30ch, then it is recommended to take it more often in order to alleviate symptoms. 




Feel confident, that if you start with the ch scale that you can never create anything new. This is not possible, since there is no material substance in them. They are only composed of energy that is directed to deal with the particular symptoms the remedy is specific to. An example is Allium cepa, which is a remedy made from onion. When we chop an onion, it creates watery eyes, a runny nose, and a slight stuffed up feeling. Once this substance becomes a remedy, and taken in homeopathic form, it will cure those exact symptoms. Those of you who suffer from mild seasonal allergies will find that Allium Cepa when taken at a 30 or 200 ch will help the symptoms to be eliminated, safely and effectively.

Have fun trying out different remedies for you common ailments!


Andrea

Why does detoxing make me feel so crappy?

When someone begins a detoxification program, whether it is for the first time or the tenth, they are going to feel worse before they feel better.

Why? Seems counter-intuitive, right?

Let's go back to the basics of a detox and why we do it. Our liver has an incredible capacity to filter and remove many of these toxins through our kidneys and bowels. Over time, these organs get sluggish, overloaded and lose a great deal of their eliminatory energy.  Think of it as a complex plumbing system, which over time gets congested with sludge. The pipes become so congested that only small amounts can pass through, thus slowing everything else down.  Once one organ or gland becomes overburdened, it begins to shut down in order to preserve itself, so now another organ or gland has to step up and take on more of the load. This is when we develop chronic pains and inflammations like arthritis, as well as all kinds of assimilation and digestive problems like heartburn, colitis, and diabetes.

Hence, why our society is turning more and more to detoxing. However, no matter how simplistic the detox is, our body will respond and begin to release toxins. The more intense you go at this process, the more intense your symptoms will be. Why? Because in order to eliminate the deep held toxins, our body has to stir it up from the tissue it has been stored in and move it around to remove it. This stirring up is what you are feeling when you start, which causes you to develop headaches, nausea and various body aches.

The trick is to make sure that your body is first capable of eliminating clearly. Often we use things to stimulate our organs to dump toxins, but haven't prepared our organs of elimination properly, so toxins get backed up causing us to literally feel crappy! Or we have asked our body to dump too quickly and we cannot handle the onslaught of toxins being released, again making us feel as bad as the toxins we are releasing.

Natalie Dee is funny, but instead of GMO wheat products, I recommend you go for ground flax seed or whole organic cereals like HOLY CRAP. 

Start gently by doing all the simple steps I recommended on spring cleansing and detoxing. Ensure your elimination organs are prepared by using high multi-strain probiotics, getting good fiber like ground flax seeds and using a bentonite clay drink which will help your bowels. To prepare your kidneys, drink lots of warm lemon water daily, parsley, cilantro and chlorella.

Homeopathic remedies that help are: (Feel free to ask your local health food store clerk for help on the right remedies for you!)
                Liver  - Chelidonium, Nux-Vomica, Lycopodium.
                Kidney/Bladder -  Berberis, Benzoin Acid, Lachesis.
                Bowels - Aloe, Sulphur, Alumina.

Last but not least, simply know that you will feel yucky initially when starting a detox. Know that this simply indicates that your body is toxic and this is a good idea. Stick with it and give yourself lots of support and rest during the first week or two. Eventually, you will begin to feel a whole lot better. Your digestion will improve, you will loose weight and gain energy physically and mentally!

Happy detoxing.

~Andrea

Hopefully you'll feel like this litle guy after your detox! Photo from Westwrite.

Wholistic health care for skiers and snowboarders.

It may not be the greatest year for skiing or snowboarding in various locations around the North America. For those of you who have found the sweet spots for snow fall there are some great wholistic tips that will make your experience fuller and healthier.

As a skier and the mother of two teenagers ski racers, there are several things I would not head to the ski hill without.

1. A homotonic remedy (a remedy that is known to treat a specific trauma) to help clear and heal any kind of head or neck trauma. You can use any combination of hellaborus, Natrum sulphuricum, cimicifuga, and of course arnica the catch all for any bruising or trauma. Use at least in a 200 ch potency. Traumeel is a popular and readily available homotonic. 

2. Shock or fear remedy. When you do happen to have an accident of some sort, you will be in shock after guaranteed. Aconite is the main shock remedy in homeopathy.

3. Protein bars that are healthy and nutritious. At the moment Cliff Bars are our favorite and in particular their chocolate mint! If you are on the hill and the sun is shining and the snow is just right you don't want to stop to eat. So having something in your pocket that will allow you to spend a couple more hours on the hill instead of the chalet all the better. 

4. Sunscreen and the other products to protect your skin from the sun and wind. There is nothing worse than heading home after a fabulous day on the hill only to realize that you did not protect your face from the wind, cold or sun. Clean sunscreens that I like are by Green Beaver and Mexitan. Lip balms such as Eco Lips are great and have a high enough SPF to keep you from burning, yet allow the healthy D vitamins in! If you have not protected yourself well enough and you do develop a sun or wind burn, and even frostbite, then creams with aloe, chamomile and lavender will help ease the pain. Homeopathic remedies like like Sol, Hypericum and Agaricus will help remove the damage and allow your body to repair itself fully.