Stress and Cardiovascular Health: A Wholistic look at Cholesterol

1. 

   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.

Rudolph Steiner, Anthroposophy, and Heilkunst.

Heilkunst, the type of Homeopathy I practice, is deeply influenced by Rudolph Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy.

You may be asking, "Who is he exactly? What are you even talking about?"

Well, here is an excellent video talking about his work and the philosophical and intellectual "seeds" he has planted in various fields around the world.

... [Rudolph Steiner] almost challenged doctors to think beyond the box. To be aware that human beings have a life forces, has a soul, has a spiritual identity, and that all of that is a part of being human. Really all of that is involved in the process of becoming ill, can be potentially mobilized in the healing process. - Dr Michael Evans

Understanding Depression

Depression is still a hard topic to breech, seeing depression is a difficult state to define. It can envelope a person in various degrees.

Chronic depression is insidious, it tends to sneak up on us, and it slowly envelopes us in a shroud of blackness or a dense fog. Low state depressions can manifest as being tired most of the time, or sleeping too much. Perhaps it's having trouble feeling pleasure and joy in every day to day event, and a need to seclude oneself from life. Or maybe it's feeling frustrated and overwhelmed constantly in daily life.  It can be a very scary place to be because one can feel completely alone and that others do not understands the depth of this depression.

Most people today are in some form of chronic depression, which is a state of low vitality and lack of joy or enthusiasm for life. Most people are stuck in the mire of today's overwhelming materialistic society. The Majority look outwards as a way to "acquire" happiness in their lives. This is not the way to live in true peace and happiness.

The only way to unfold from depression is to face the things that have caused the depression.

What creates this blanket of darkness? Depression is the ultimate armoring. By "armoring" I mean that it is a defense mechanism created to protect us from an overwhelming life. When life, with its many different trials and events, becomes too much for us to process effectively, we begin to shut down in order to survive.

Most people see depression as a state of deep grief or sadness about life. In actuality, that sadness is a result of intense oppression from life, meaning that too many events in life cause the feeling of being limited and overwhelmed. In society, we are not taught or allowed to understand our emotions and therefore freely express ourselves. Often this oppression creates a deep inner anger.

People with low grade depression can put on a false happy mask, and pretend that everything is okay. Swallowing anger and depression, then pretending it is not there is common in our modern world. This can cause depressed persons to shut down completely. Depression does not just happen over night, it usually has been building for many years, and in some cases whole lives.

Being freed from years of depression, like many things, starts off by admitting the problem. Recovery from these dark periods can start with understanding all the emotions and traumas that triggered this final oppression, and this process should be unfolded, slowly and gently. Issues should not be faced all at once. Honour and patience must be allowed in order to face one 'demon' at a time for healing to occur. This approach will ensure that each issue is worked through fully release the oppressive state. Taking one day at a time, and trying to find a bit more inner joy in each day are the best foundations to wellness. Viewing depression as a life lesson needed to be learned, and knowing depression can be overcome to see the beauty of tomorrow are two good perspectives.

If you know that you are suffering from low-grade depression, and want help finding a healthy, natural way out of this low period, please contact me. There are some effective, potent and safe homeopathic remedies to help you to release and let go of the overwhelming emotions, and mental traumas that have triggered this state in you. I provide counseling, nutritional therapy and a "toolbox" of ways to handle your depression in daily life, in a wholistic, loving manner. If you would like to learn more about these treatment options, please call my office and book an appointment. You do not need to pull yourself out of this alone!


Peace, love and gratitude.

Have a joyful day,

Andrea

Spring Cleansing & Weight Loss.

The human body loves cycles and rhythms, especially when it has to do with nutrients and rest. Every year when winter slowly gives way to spring, the natural cycles trigger an awakening in our bodies via the sun's forces. We wake up and expand, just like our surrounding world.

Think of your body as waking up and growing like a forest floor.

We begin to feel more energetic and active with the expansion of the days. If we have not been making great food choices over the winter months, our bodies will not be able to keep up with this expansion. If the physical body is not operating at it's optimum, it will begin to show this through many different symptoms. These can be: headaches, sleep disruption, gastric disturbances, and general aching in the joints and muscles.

If you have any one of these symptoms that has lasted for more than a few weeks, than your body is trying to tell you it needs some proper support. Whether you are an old hat at cleansing or are completely new to this concept, there are a few golden rules that every one can follow that will help your body to release old held toxins and give some new life to their over loaded organs.

Wholistic Healthcare Spring Cleaning Regiment

1. Eliminate all processed carbohydrates. In other words- if it comes pre-made in a box no matter whether it is regular pasta or organic brown rice pasta, eliminate it! Give yourself at least 4 - 6 weeks off of all processed foods and your body will be happier for the break from trying to process something this difficult and will begin to release held toxins.
2. Take a break from all sugar sources, even the natural sugars like cane sugar, maple syrup, honey etc. The body has to actually take energy away from itself in order to digest sugars.  If you are dealing with any kind of tumors, or hardening of the body type with chronic issues like cysts, be aware that sugar feeds these issues. Even fruit is a form of quick sugar so try to avoid all sweet, simple fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and bananas. Berries are a better source of fruit with less sugar and more nutrients, however also keep these to a minimum for the 4- 6 weeks of your cleanse.
3. Drink lots of fresh, clean water! By adding real lemon to your water you also increase the cleansing and ph balancing of your body.
4. Be sure to get a good night sleep. Try to get in to a habit of going to bed at the same time every night and do not eat or drink anything except water after 8 pm. Be sure that your bedroom is at a consistent temperature between 19 - 20 degrees Celsius (65-68 Fahrenheit) and it is as dark as you can make it.
5. Keep your diet clean of toxins by eating organic meats, vegetables, beans, legumes and whole form carbohydrates like brown rice, quinoa, lentils, and berries. 

It doesn't matter what blood type, metabolic rate or glandular type is. If you follow these simple rules and you will gently detox the build up of unwanted toxins from your body, and begin to feel lighter emotionally and physically.

Be prepared that even doing a simple cleanse like this will at first make you feel off, due to the body dumping toxins, even without adding any other forms of detoxification like herbs.

Symptoms will vary from person to person (being tired, cranky and having headaches are all signs of toxins leaving the body) and will last any where from 1-2 days up to a week. Generally, I recommend you simply stick with it and know that you will begin to feel better. A simple technique is to cheat ever so slightly during this first week but only if you cannot stand the symptoms. By "cheating" I mean to simply have a tiny bit of natural sugar, which is usually what the body is struggling with not having, so drink some organic fruit juice like grape or apple. This will usually diminish the nasty symptoms, and remember not to over do it or the body will stop detoxing all together.

Also, please remember that you can always ask me for help or a personalized program to help target a specific problem, or help you achieve a specific health goal this spring.

In love and light,
Andrea

How to Fix the Mid Winter Blues

Those of us experiencing winter right now in the northern hemisphere are finding it a rather unusual and grey season. We are getting snow one day, then rain a day or so later with very little sunshine in between to lighten our mood. When this happens even those of us who are not affected by SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder find it difficult to be happy!

Some tools to help us survive this dreary time of year is to find ways to bring light in to our lives.

You can download this beautiful image as a screensaver for your desktop.

1. Buy a full light spectrum light or bulb and be sure to use it for a half hour a day. You can buy full spectrum bulbs which look light blue at most home hardware stores. I generally prefer these bulbs and use them in my office and kitchen so I get this light all the time. 
2. Make sure we are getting enough vitamin D during this time, take a minimum of 1-2000mg daily and more if you are struggling with your health. Don't be afraid to talk to you local small health food store clerk to see and compare products on the self.
3. Be sure to get a complete mineral source either via a liquid supplement like Rejuvinate,  Cell Food or Fulvic Acid Minerals.  You could try using Pink Himalayan Salt daily in your diet, which is a source of trace minerals and a healthier salt choice over iodized table salt.
4. Essential fatty acids are a type of healthy oils and fats that help to make sure that we can generate energy. Good sources are high quality fish oils such as cod liver oil of krill oil, as well as flax oil for a plant source.
5. Homeopathic remedies such as Aurum Metallicum or Sol will help bring light in to our emotional body at an energetic level keeping depression at bay!
6. Finally be sure to get outside even in the dreariest day and take a nice brisk walk. Breath in the fresh air, feel the solid earth beneath your feet. Be aware of who you are and your place in the moment, and make the choice to enjoy that moment!
7. If you feel you may need guidance or deeper healing this winter, please don't hesitate to contact me for a consultation. www.wholistichealthcare.ca

In love and light,

Andrea

Physical or Soul/Spiritual

I know that as I write this that I am not really following just the path of regimen and nutrition as I first suggested I would. As my blog progresses I have come to realize that it is pretty hard to simply talk about one aspect of who we are without addressing the other so-called body members. If you have read my book then you understand what I am talking about. If not then here is a brief summary;
we are composed of four body members, according to Rudolf Steiner - the physical/chemical body that is similar to all things visible to the eye, that which we can touch and experience in a physical way. Then we have an Etheric or life body, which is the body of fluids and energetic movement, the Etheric is the cosmic orgonotic energy which infuses everything with life energy, the source if you will for life at a basic level. These two make up our "Lower-Man" or earthly inherent being.
Then there is our Astral body which is our emotional, spiritual enlivening body of desires and aversions which is unique to every one of us. Last but not least we have our Ego, that essence of who we are as a true individual the "I" being. The I, or true self is the creator and keeper of our thoughts and beliefs about who we are.  These two are what is called the "Upper-Man" or our Karmic/cosmic being.
Each of these body members follows their own unique laws and principles when falling in to or out of health. Keep these in mind since I will often refer to each body member when talking about health and healing and it would help if you understood them in some way!

Ok, so my inspiration for this blog was recent work with clients where I was helping them to understand the difference between their physical ailments that stem from a disruption merely at the physical level, such as say banging your leg on a solid object and having a large bruise (created in the physical by the etheric) and the pain (which is felt in the Astral body) that accompanies this. Or an ailment that stems from an emotional or mental belief that is blocked or repressed in some way that may be creating physical disturbances. These physical disturbances then must be recognized as simply being the messengers of this bigger message. For example, lets say that you are feeling unloved, and moody, like any thing could make you cry, have a pulsating headache with flushes of heat, feel thirsty a lot but don't really want to drink and are having some slight nausea and or dizziness.  All of these symptoms relate to the same issue; the feeling of being unloved or abandoned. This generally comes from something in your life today that is stirring up this old belief pattern from childhood. If the original event was large enough or long enough and meant for you since it occurred, then it will have created an internal pattern and blockage in your etheric life force, that you now carry with you through out your life. It will "flare" at times either when you are at a point that you need to or are able to deal with it or when ever you are presented with a similar outward event that reminds you of it.

The problem I see most often is that we are so busy living our life NOT in the MOMENT, such as dwelling on past issues that we can't change or fretting about the future and where we need to go, that we are not attentive enough to ourselves to be aware of this underlying state that is affecting us.

But in order to be healthy free flowing individuals we need to be attentive to how we are feeling at all moments, so that we can be prepared to work through an old issues that may be blocking us from living always fully in the moment. I realize this is not an easy task but it is one that we all must learn. Once we are able to be fully attentive to ourselves at any time then we can be free!

Those of you who are still carrying a lot of old emotional baggage and unhealthy belief structures will probably need outside objective help in recognizing these issues. Some one to explain that those crazy physical symptoms like the ones I described above are due to a disruption of our soul(emotional) and spiritual(thoughts/beliefs) bodies, and need to be worked through properly in order to release them fully and for good.
One really good way to find out if you are struggling with an old belief or emotional blockage is to be attentive to your thoughts and emotions and when you are constantly being triggered emotionally by some one or some event and you feel like you have no control over these feelings, know that this is YOUR stuff being stirred up in order for you to be aware of it. Know that these feelings and thoughts are YOURS, and that the only way to eliminate them for good is to take ownership of them and do something to release them appropriately. Do some self work, by sitting and ruminating on what has come up, ask the universe for clarification and try to discover exactly what is triggering this state and what exactly the state is. Is it anger, fear, deep grief, lack of self worth, feeling devalued etc.
Remember even though it seems to be coming from outside and "at" you, the actual things you feel is yours and your choice to deal with.

Once we are able to recognize what our body is trying to tell us then we can work through the state using a number of different therapies. The one I employ the most is called Homotonic or Homeopathic remedies, because they are fast, efficient and do not create any "side-effects'. In other words a dynamic medicine that is in an energetic form that can be used according to a natural law, that will help our life force to overcome fully the emotional or mental state we are carrying. In the case I described above the remedy that would aptly fit that state is known as Pulsatilla. The remedy can also be prescribed for many other types of ailments and pathology but when looking for a remedy that best fits your state of mind this is going to be the one that helps you the most in removing the state fully and allowing you to resolve, overcome and move upward and onward with your life quickly. Also remember that potency is significant. I will discuss this in another blog.

I hope this helps you to understand a little bit of how to tell the difference between true physical disturbances or disturbances that come about due to mental or emotional issues that need to be worked through.

A small side note - Rudolf Steiner mapped out how long each body member takes to fully recover or get over something; The physical body takes roughly a whole year before it has completely resolved a major disturbance. The Etheric body takes roughly 30 days, the Astral or emotional body takes 7 days and our Ego or "I" being can over come a belief in just 24 hours, given the right support!

Thank you for taking the time to read this,
gratitude and blessings to you today.
Andrea

Regimen and nutrition continued - typologies

During the early years of my journey in to finding true health for myself, I came across a body typology diet or lifestyle that was based on blood typing. What that means is that according to what blood type you are; A, B, AB or O plays a significant role in what foods work best with your blood type. Again, like the glandular typing I won't go in to huge detail since there is lots of information about this on the Internet or you can buy Peter D'Adamo book. However, the basic premise is that each blood type is a reflection of different inherent backgrounds and evolutions of humans from the time of the nomads [O blood type who are more protein/meat eaters], hunter gatherers [A blood type who are more vegetarian, low fat eaters], to today's more diverse combinations of ethnicities and most modern blood types B and AB which are more omnivorous and can handle a wide variety of food types.

For myself I am an O blood type which in it's basic form means that I am the oldest most common type, this type is designed to be more of a meat eater according to D'Adamo. What I have found though personally and professionally is that the blood type diet is a very small piece of the puzzle. Yes it does have significance in what types of food groups the individual should be eating for optimum health. However, it only applies for specific food groups. Such as for an O type being classified as a protein/meat eater tends to be very broad and not very specific. But if you add in metabolic typing to this you can individualize it much more and discover more specific foods within that group that are best suited to that individual. As an example say you are an O type but you have a very alkaline system and are a slow oxidative, in other words you may be a meat eater but your digestive system is not adequately set up with enough enzymes and acidity to break down the heavy protein in dark meat in to useable energy. Thus if you where to eat a large steak you would feel very slow and lethargic afterwards as your body tries diligently to figure out how to process this heavy protein. You would probably feel better on lighter meats or vegetable protein sources. Whereas the O blood type individuals with a higher metabolic rate, will be able to easily break down the heavier purines in dark meats and actually feel more energized after eating these food sources but less so after having only vegetable proteins.

I have also come across many A blood types that are supposed to be vegetarians, who are very fast high oxidative types, thus they process their foods rather quickly and need higher amounts of protein and minerals and fats in their diet. If these individuals choose to be vegetarians and do not get high protein sources daily or supplement with minerals and high B12, then they usually end up with significant degeneration especially in their bones, nails and hair.

So as you can see just choosing one type diet over another is not the way to true health. What we must do as individuals is look at all the different ways our own unique body works and eat according to how we know foods make us feel and function. In other words pay attention to your body it knows best!

Even our age plays a significant part of our nutritional makeup. As we age our metabolism naturally slows down. Unless you are running marathons at age 40 and up then your protein intake needs to decrease yearly. There simply is no growth going on and or body building, again unless you are an extreme athlete, thus you need to always be monitoring your food intake and energy levels to maintain your own health and equilibrium. No matter what blood type you are.

From here I would like you to go and do some personal research. Find out your blood type, do an online survey and discover your metabolic rate, find out how you react to certain foods, what works best for you and what does not. Remember it is YOUR body so take care of it, love it by taking ownership of it and treating as well as you would like to be treated. That is the only way to truly find out how to feed your body in order to have the optimal energy and weight for your physical structure. One of the best ways of course to do this is after finding out these two types that fit you best, stick to the diet suggestions, eliminate all the food sources that are not recommended for you and see how you feel after one month. If you haven't noticed any significant improvement it may be due to several factors.
A. Either you where already eating fairly close to your body type and didn't need to make significant changes. If this is so then you should normally have constant energy and mood most of the time.
B. You did not change your diet enough to get noticeable results. Quite often we have trouble truly letting go of certain food types that we have eaten all our life and we some how convince ourselves that its still ok to eat it. If your typology results have asked you to remove a certain food source give your self the opportunity to truly find out if you will feel better without it for at least a month.

Another way to find out if you are eating appropriately is to test your body Ph levels. Get yourself a Ph testing kit from a local drug store and every morning and evening test saliva and urine Ph. It should sit around 6.7. If it is not then you are not eating properly. continue to monitor this while you are making changes and once you get your diet properly adjusted for a continuous period of time your Ph should begin to normalize and stay consistent. When you body Ph is perfect then you will know that your body is functioning at its optimum. You will also not be susceptible to illnesses since bacteria and virus only resonate in a body which is deficient one way or another.

Remember it is ok to periodically eat things that are not good for you, provided you are consciously aware that is what you are doing and you only do it in small amounts and not all the time. Also be willing to pay the price if your health is not at its optimum when you eat these foods then you are going to feel the effects via sluggish digestion, possibly headaches, improper elimination, energy fluctuations and emotional imbalances.

Life is meant to be enjoyed but It will be much more enjoyable when you feel and look great for yourself as much as possible.

Live, love, laugh and eat according to your unique body mix of typologies!

Andrea

Who's Driving the Bus?

Even though a large part of my practice is working with the true laws and principles that surround how we get sick and what remedies or true natural medicines are needed along with Nutrition and regimental support to help heal. I probably spend a greater amount of time helping people understand who is "driving their bus!" In other words helping my clients become more aware of their thought processes and the simple fact that they, and by they I mean a very deep core inner sense of self our true "I"; thus they or their true self is and always will be in control of their thinking. But the key is to become aware of their thinking and thought patterns, to become aware of themselves as a true individual "I".

Who am I? I am what I think!

 To come to know and understand how we think and then learn to take control of what  we think so that we can truly be the "driver of our bus"is one of the most crucial aspects we must face today if we want true freedom. And by becoming our own driver we can begin to actually fully control our life in a more conscious fluid way. Because we are what we think and what we think is simply a belief structure that is in place to help us to have some form or functioning realm to be in that feels comfortable. Belief structures are not deep truths they are fluctuating patterns of thoughts that are either impinged upon us at birth and in early life when we are not consciously aware of our own ability to think or we develop them over time with our own experiences. Thus we take them on as true facts and make them our own and create our life out of that reflection given to us. But we can change these beliefs at any given moment if we CHOOSE to. The trick is to being aware of what that belief is that we want to change and then taking the time and effort to change it through constant repetitions of new ideas and thoughts that we feel would support us at this time in our life better.

For example, lets say you feel undeserving of success. The way this belief has come about is unimportant. What is important is recognizing that this is what you believe at this point in time and making a conscious choice in your mind to change this. To change this belief for good we need to A. Be aware of every time is presents itself in our thoughts, actions and emotions. B. Each time we recognize it make a conscious effort to replace it with a more positive thought or affirmation such as "I absolutely deserve this...by divine right. Or what ever affirmation you feel is appropriate for you. C. Along with this thought change we need to instill an emotional feeling to this thought. Imagine how you would feel if this NEW belief where so. Imagine how great and happy you would feel with this belief as a part of who you are, here and now. Hold this feeling and thought for as long as you can. Then move on with your day.
Remember each time you feel confronted by the old belief/thoughts and feelings, that you would like to change, you must take the time initially to work consciously on it each and every time. The more you work on it with effort the faster it will become a part of who you really are the faster the old belief will be washed away.

This is a project in creating your full true self; the you that you want to be in this life, not the results of old passed on beliefs and inheritances.

Sometimes we need help recognizing our deep core beliefs that are holding us back. If you are struggling with things in life but can not see clearly enough to recognize what old belief pattern is holding you back then asking the objective opinion of a close friend or seeking professional help might be well worth your time.

The most important thing is to be willing and ready to change. In order to become the best you, that you can be in this lifetime takes courage and determination. We must be able to see ourselves as objectively as possible and be willing to do what ever it takes to make the changes we desire.

Remember you and your life is what you believe it to be, whether you believe life is a struggle and you will never get a head or you believe that you are successful in what ever you do and the universe always provides the best for you at every given moment. These thoughts and emotional patterns are created and proliferated by you and for you. And only you can change them if you choose. 

The power is in you to decide if and when you want to change your self!

Life is too short not to be who you really want to be every single moment so face your fears and live your life fully for yourself. Decide now to be who ever you want to be and go for it.

Seize the moment and enjoy it fully.

in complete joy,
Andrea

Step #1. The Importance of Regimen and Nutrition and body typing

The first place that I started my health journey was by looking at and changing my regimen and nutrition.
In other words I began to look at what foods I was eating, according to my body typology, the combination of foods I was eating as well as looking at special supplements and organ support or detoxification processes that where specific to my body and the problems that I was struggling with.

One of the most important things to do if you are interested in taking care of your health is to know and understand your body and how it functions for you according to how you treat it. In other words what you put in or on your body affects you in some way.

 Lets start by looking at understanding body typology first.
Body Typologies have been seen for centuries, simply look at Ayurvedic medicine which stems from India over 5000 years ago. Every individual has a unique body type that stems from your inherited make up as well as environmental factors; like blood type, glandular dominance and metabolic rate and so on, which are all determining factors in what foods your body truly requires for proper energy and maintenance. As an example, I tended to struggle more with adrenal and pancreas deficiency issues, both of which originated from my parents own physical issues. Thus as you can see they can be inherent, like blood type or they can be developed over the life via improper nutritional choices that puts a stress on the gland or organ system, along with mental and emotional stressors. As well as the inherited factor, I was also born in to a very stressful home life where my parents where in constant conflict, which caused constant threat of survival on my part. I was constantly feeling their stress, fear and panic which caused me to quickly require too much use of my adrenals and thus an overproduction of cortisol, which over time burned out my adrenals, leading to constant fatigue, headaches etc. As well my mother had been given cortisol shots as a teenager to control her severe allergy symptoms. The toxic load of cortisol over time had also caused a great deal of stress on her Adrenals, thus her body passed on this weakness to her children and me in particular. The pancreas weakness was inherited from my father's family lineage who all had and whom many died from diabetes.

There are many different typologies when it comes to diet and nutrition. I won't go through them all and please feel free to investigate as many as you feel compelled to. The point I would like to get across is being able to understand your own physical body and systems and how you may be out of balance according to the symptoms/problems you may be experiencing. Once you can come to know what systems you are having problems with, then you can go about finding ways to restore health to those particular organs or glands and help your body return to a better state of health. As well learning about how your body works on an individual basis and finding the proper food sources that your body enjoys and thrives on will go a long way to helping you live a fuller more qualitative life.

 Lets start with Glandular typing and take a quick look at that system. As I stated earlier we all tend to have a dominant gland that stems from inheritances and how your body is designed to metabolize food types. Dr. Abravanel's Body Type Diet book goes over this more extensively, but the basic points of the glandular type system is to find out which gland you tend to lean on the most in order to understand how its over use will affect you. There are 4 types in this system, the Pituitary, Thyroid, Adrenal and Gonadal type.

 Characteristics of each - notice the cravings because cravings are due to your bodies dominant gland looking for another "hit" of its drug/food that over stimulates it, but this is not what the body needs in the long run for true health and balance.

Pituitary types - because this gland controls all the other glands it tend to gain weight in small amounts all over, face, arms, torso, hips, butt, legs, they tend to get a pudgy over all look. They do not have any huge distinguishing body shape other than they tend to have a larger than normal head, but the rest is of average height and build. They tend to crave dairy and fats to stimulate their energy centers. These types need to eliminate dairy and bad fats from their diet and add more proteins and vegetables to balance their energy better. Also eating regular meals and eat heavier early in the day since this is when they are most active and reduce calories and amounts of food as the day goes on, so eat a light supper.

Thyroid types - these people tend to be normally tall and slim or slightly built, your classic swimmers body. When they gain weight it tends to settle around their middle, spare tire look, and stay slim in their limbs even buttocks and hips may remain slim. Their energy levels when out of balance tend to be either high or low. That is because they crave sugars, starches and caffeine, thus the quick hit of sugar that comes from these food types causes a rush of energy into their metabolism, but the energy is unsustainable and so drops as quickly as it rises leading them on a viscous cycle of carbohydrate bingeing to keep up their energy. Thyroid types need to eliminate as much processed carbohydrates, sugar and caffeine as possible  and eat smaller meals more often through out the whole day, in order to take the stress off their thyroid and allow their body to get back in to a more balanced flow of energy through out the day instead of the constant ups and downs.

Adrenal types - tend to be strongly built, solid and muscular, built more for power than speed. Thus it can be hard to tell if an adrenal type is gaining weight. The one area where they tend to gain it the most is the abdomen, that big hard belly of the dead-weight lifters! Adrenal types have high energy and quite often can go without eating for long periods of time, they tend to not eat in the morning and wait until 11am before feeling the need to eat. They also tend to eat large amounts at one time as well, they have a "healthy" appetite. They crave rich and salty foods like meat, cheese and butter. They very rarely crave sweets or desserts. These types do extremely well on a more vegetarian diet, lower protein foods, and like all types no processed carbs! Also eat a small breakfast and lunch and eat a heavier meal at supper, with at least 4-5 hour breaks between meals, no snacks.

Gonadal type - generally this type is only seen in women, probably due to all the phytoestrogens floating around our environment, causing an imbalance in our hormonal systems. Gonadal types tend to be more shapely then  most, larger breasts and along with this larger hips and buttocks. They tend to crave hot, spicy and greasy foods, like thai and Indian food along with craving alcohol. Thus the need to eliminate over spiced foods, red meat, fatty foods along with alcohol will go a long way to help these body types to loose weight and feel more energized. Like the Adrenal type it is best to eat lightly for breakfast and lunch and have your larger meal at supper, and give your body time to process between meals as well, minimum 4-6 hours between your meals.

Another thing to remember is that no one should eat past 8 pm since every ones body needs time to slow down and get ready for a good nights sleep in order to allow the systems to bring in the maintenance crew and heal and repair the daily damage.

These are some basic ideas for you to think about this week and decide which one fits you best and make some simple changes to see if it helps with your energy and weight.

Next week I will continue looking at body typology with a look at Blood Typing and how it also affects us as individuals.

until then live fully, be well and enjoy the moment!

Andrea