Healthy bodies and minds can only be sustained by sufficient, deep, undisturbed sleep. So many of my patients talk of interrupted or insufficient sleep.  In modern life, there are so many reasons that contribute to poor sleeping: stress, diet, bed and bedding, location of bed and other distractions.

Stress in modern life is huge.  The body type homo sapiens sapiens evolved in a very different environment that the one we are exposed to our whole life.  The body perceives stress as a threat which triggers to the bio-chemistry of the fight or flight response.  When you have adrenalin coursing through your body you will find it challenging to either get off to sleep (unless you are exhausted) or to remain sleeping for a full 8 hours.  Your central nervous system (your body’s main frame operating computer) does not feel “safe” enough to allow the deep sleep cycles associated with refreshing sleep.  Instead part of your system stays present enough to warn you of “imminent attack”.  A “stress management” regimen of working out and getting aerobic 3-4 times a week, taking a seven minute break from work every hour (drink water, pee and stretch hourly), intentionally limiting your weekly work hours to around 40 hours per week will give you a more sustainable balance in your life. I even recommend just before you begin your getting ready for bed ritual (teeth brushing etc.) that you do 3 sets of as many push ups as you can do.  This burns adrenaline out of your muscles and blood stream.

Other stressors you can control are caffeine, alcohol, sugars and overly spicy foods.  Caffeine (a very strong drug) should be limited to the morning and not used every day.  Alcohol that is often used to “wind down” from stress at the end of the day can also interrupt sleep patterns.  It is not recommended to be used every day either.  A big dessert at the end of the day raises your blood sugar making getting off to sleep more difficult.  Spicy foods are known to activate your system.

Many people are not getting enough iodine in their diets.  Iodine is necessary for optimum thyroid function.  Many, many of y patients have the symptoms of an under active thyroid.  Disrupted sleep, mood swings, a body temperature when you are otherwise healthy that is a few tenths of a degree Fahrenheit below 98.6° are all indications that you might want to consider adding kelp, iodine or “Thyroid Support” capsules to your supplement array.  People are eating less fish and less ‘table salt’, which was mandated to contain iodine just because it was so hard to get enough in a normal diet.

What kind of bed and bedding you sleep on and what materials they are made from can impact healthy sleeping.  Proper, comfortable support of your back, head and neck are vital. Synthetic materials can emit pollutants that irritate your body. See http://sleepworks.com/faq.htm#7 for more information about natural materials in bedding.  The fabric softeners and detergents that have fragrance can also add to the interference of deep sleep. There should be no TV in the bedroom. If you usually sleep with someone else having a big bed or your own bed for sleep might be worth considering.  Where you bed is located in the room might be important as well. A person with the gift of dowsing could determine if your bed was lying along the convergence of the geo-magnetic grid matrix.  Sleeping at a convergence is very un-healthy. (Email me at michael.brightwood@gmail.com if you want instructions on how to determine if the geomagnetic grid convergence is present at your bed’s position in your house.)

Healthy bodies and minds can only be sustained by sufficient, deep, undisturbed sleep. Find what is disrupting your sleep and begin to change them.

Registered Craniosacral Therapist Michael Brightwood reduces or eliminates chronic pain and stress without surgery or medication in Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact him for an appointment today. 415-963-1696 or michael.brightwood@gmail.com.

Restoring Hormonal Harmony with

Fertility-Friendly Herbs and

Lifestyles

February 2009 Features by Michael Vertolli, MH

It always shocks me how many people hate winter. As a Canadian, to hate winter is to condemn ourselves to feeling miserable a good portion of the time for four to five months of the year. Personally, I love all of the seasons. Every season has its beauty and its lessons to teach us. I love the crisp clear air, the brilliant white snow and the silence of winter. It is a time of greater clarity; a time for reflection. One of my favorite things to do in the whole year is to take a walk in the woods on a clear, still winter night when the moon is full or close to it. The peace and beauty of that experience is overwhelming.

It isn’t surprising that so many people don’t like winter. In our society we are too busy living in our artificial environments according to the artificial schedule that we have projected onto the world. The cold and snow just seem to get in the way. As a result, we have become increasingly more cut off from the real world and the natural rhythms of nature, including those of our own body. This disconnect from the Earth and her natural cycles and rhythms is one of the main reasons that we have become increasingly more unhealthy and the ecosystem that nurtures and sustains us is now teetering on the edge of collapse.

Living the way we do, the natural cycles and rhythms of our body have a tendency to become imbalanced. These cycles are controlled by our nervous and endocrine systems. Since these systems control and coordinate every process in our body, when their natural rhythms are out of sync it has negative consequences for the functioning of every organ, tissue and cell in our body.

One of the natural rhythms most easily disturbed in a woman when her life and body is  out of balance is the reproductive  cycle. Because the levels of different sex hormones are constantly changing relative to each other throughout this cycle, anything that produces minor changes to any of them has the potential to throw the entire cycle out of balance. In addition, because all of the hormones in our body interact with each other directly or indirectly, disturbances of hormones not directly involved in the reproductive cycle can still have an influence.

There are a number of general patterns of diet and lifestyle prevalent in our society that affect everyone to varying degrees. Many of these have a significant potential to disturb the reproductive cycle. As a result, for most women in our society this cycle tends to be out of balance to some degree. This is why many women suffer from symptoms such as increased incidence and severity of menstrual cramps, PMS, fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, irregular or lack of periods, and menopausal symptoms. In addition, many women are going through menopause far too early and many girls are beginning to menstruate too young. Cancer of the reproductive organs is also on the increase.

Any woman who suffers from one or more of these symptoms is not likely to get much help from their doctor. More often than not they will be told that what they are experiencing is “normal” and they just have to learn to live with it. What we seem to have forgotten is that what is “normal” is not necessarily what is natural. What has become normal as a result of our disconnected, unnatural way of life is often quite divergent from what was or is meant to be. In societies that live in greater harmony with nature, we find that all of these symptoms are significantly less common and some of them may completely unknown.

One related trend also on the increase is the number of women having difficulty conceiving. A reduction in fertility is a natural consequence of the disturbances of the balance of reproductive hormones that are so prevalent in our society. When this occurs, rather than help to restore balance and harmony so that natural fertility is replenished, modern medical interventions force a woman’s body into an artificial state of fertility. The process is both invasive and expensive, costing thousands of dollars. What is not well known is that natural fertility can be restored with a more natural diet and lifestyle, combined with supporting the reproductive system and the body as a whole by the use of the appropriate herbs.

From an holistic perspective, there are many factors that can reduce fertility. To address this it is necessary to change as many of these factors as possible. Which of them is the most significant will vary from person to person.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FERTILITY

Psychological stress has a profound effect on the functioning of the reproductive system. Excessive levels of stress will inevitably lead to imbalances of the female reproductive hormones. In addition, when under stress many people experience increased tension in their abdominal region. This reduces blood flow to the abdominal organs including the ovaries and uterus, putting further stress on these organs.

Identifying and reducing exposure to stressful situations whenever possible is important, but it is also essential that we learn how to deal with potentially stressful situations more effectively, as stress is primarily the result of how we respond to situations rather than inherent in the situations themselves. This is why different people will experience different degrees of stress in the same situations.

Exercise helps to reduce stress and improve blood flow to the uterus, ovaries and other endocrine glands. It also helps our body to eliminate toxicity, which I will address below. Disciplines such as meditation, yoga, tai chi and various stress management techniques can also be helpful because they both reduce stress directly, and they provide a means that can help us learn to respond differently in stressful situations.

Consumption of stimulants has basically the same effect on our body as stress. It is therefore important to reduce consumption of coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and sugary “energy drinks”.

Other foods that, when eaten in excess, have a negative effect on the female reproductive cycle include sweets, red meats, dairy products, processed foods and bad fats such as those in processed or deep fried foods and any other sources of rancid and hydrogenated fats and oils. The issue of rancid fats in particular has been ignored. No doubt this is because food production companies, both natural and mainstream, don’t want the public to know that the oils that they are using to replace hydrogenated oils and thereby reduce those dreaded trans fats are all rancid due to cooking and other food processing methods. These rancid oils are almost as bad for our health as trans fats.

The use of birth control pills and other hormone replacement therapies have a significant negative influence on the female reproductive cycle. Unfortunately, these kinds of therapies are often used to treat reproductive symptoms. Forcing an artificial reproductive rhythm on the body may help control some of these symptoms, but in the long run it puts the body more out of balance. The issue of birth control is very complex and sometimes it may seem that using birth control pills is the best option available for a period of time. Nevertheless, it is important to explore all available options before making a decision and use hormone therapy only if necessary. It is also preferable not to be on birth control pills for more than six to nine months at a time followed by a three to six month break during which a reproductive tonic like the one described below is used.

Toxicity is another major contributing factor to most of what ails us including reproductive issues. Of particular concern is that many environmental toxins are hormone disruptors, including most pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, as well as foods or liquids that are stored in plastic. This includes canned products and juice box type containers as they all have a plastic coating on the inside to prevent the contents from coming in contact with the aluminum or other metals that are part of the packaging. Glass is still the best option with ceramic a close second (as long as it doesn’t contain lead).

In addition to hormone disrupting toxins, our environment is becoming increasingly polluted with free hormones due to the large number of women who are taking birth control pills or on hormone replacement therapies. These therapies provide much larger amounts of hormones than our body would normally produce, causing much of it to be excreted in urine which then enters our water supply. The levels of free hormones in our environment are sufficient to cause reproductive imbalances in both women and men, as well as in fish and many other animal species.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is also very important. For every woman there is an ideal weight range that is unique for her body. If her weight strays out of that range in either direction (underweight or overweight) it has a significant impact on her reproductive functioning as well as her health in general. This is too complex an issue to cover here, but I will make a few general points: (1) There are no magic bullets. Any supplement or drug that is supposed to make people lose weight easily probably doesn’t work or is unhealthy. (2) The bottom line concerning losing weight is that it is necessary to reduce calorie intake and increase activity. (3) It is preferable to lose weight slowly. (4) Any diet that we follow in order to lose weight has to be a diet that we can live with for the rest of our life. Whatever we do to lose weight will have to be continued to keep it off. (5) Weight issues can be related to disturbances of function of our thyroid, pancreas, adrenals, liver or other organs. In such cases these organs will also need to be treated.

FERTILITY-FRIENDLY DIET AND HERBS

To support the health of the reproductive system it is necessary to increase consumption of whole foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat certified organic foods as much as possible. Contrary to popular belief, this is even more important with animal products than with produce, but it’s best to eat everything organic if it is available. Essential fatty acids are also very important, especially omega 3. The best source of omega 3 fatty acids is flax seed oil that has been processed from organically grown flax seeds by methods that protect the oil from light and heat, and has been kept refrigerated.

Beware of any natural or commercial food products that claim to be an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids. Supplementing these nutrients has become a fad these days as we are becoming more aware of their importance. However, cooking and other food processing methods will render them rancid long before they make it to retail shelves. As such, they probably do more harm than good.

The herbal treatment of infertility includes two universal components. It is also possible that a woman’s reproductive function is indirectly being impacted by disturbances of the functioning of other non-reproductive organs. If that is the case, it/they will also need to be supported as well.

In the first stage of the treatment of infertility, the focus is on improving digestion and liver function, and detoxification. At all stages of treatment we must also address the effects of stress. Of particular importance is ensuring proper liver function. Our liver is our major organ of detoxification and fat metabolism. It is also the organ responsible for breaking down excessive levels of hormones in our body. Factors that impede liver function include overeating, overconsumption of fatty and heavily processed foods, and all sources of toxicity. Liver function can be aided by increasing consumption of fresh fruits, especially lemons, and vegetables, especially bitter green vegetables such as rapini, escarole, mustard, endive, dandelion and chicory

In putting together a detox formulation for infertility, there are four groups of herbs that are particularly important. The first group are calming aromatic herbs that help reduce stress, improve digestion and have a mild tonic influence on the female reproductive system. It is a good idea to include two to three herbs from this group. They include lavender flower (Lavandula angustifolia), lemon balm herb (Melissa officinalis), passionflower herb (Passiflora spp.), peppermint herb (Mentha x piperita), spearmint herb (Mentha spicata), thyme herb (Thymus vulgaris) and wild bergamot herb (Monarda fistulosa).

The second group of herbs are bitter herbs that improve digestion, liver function, and aid detoxification. It is good to include one milder bitter such as burdock root (Arctium spp.), chicory root (Cichorium intybus), dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) or milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum), and one stronger bitter such as boneset herb (Eupatorium perfoliatum), centaury herb (Centaurium erythraea), gentian root (Gentiana lutea) or white horehound herb (Marrubium vulgare).

The third group of herbs support detoxification by improving lymphatic drainage. Include one of heal-all herb (Prunella vulgaris), nettle herb (Urtica dioica), plantain herb (Plantago spp.), purple loosestrife herb (Lythrum salicaria), sweet clover herb (Melilotus spp.) or yellow bedstraw herb (Galium verum).

Finally, we want to include a warming herb that supports circulation and helps the other herbs to get where they need to go. It is only necessary to include one of these herbs, but they vary in their pungency and therefore the proportion that we need to use. They include cayenne fruit (Capsicum anuum) which should be used at a proportion of 1-2% of your formulation, ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) at 5-10%, or turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa) at 10-15%.

This formulation should be taken three times per day on an empty stomach about 10-15 minutes before each meal or 30-45 minutes before bed. The best way to use these herbs is as tinctures made from the fresh herbs. However, dry herb tinctures or teas will also work if that is what’s available. It may also be possible to find similar formulations to what I have described above in retail stores. If you purchase a ready made formulation, only use tinctures or teas as it is necessary to taste the herbs when you take them in order for them to be fully effective. Also, if a formulation contains more than six or seven herbs, it’s usually a sign that the product is poorly formulated.

The dosage of tinctures depends on their strength. Follow the directions of whatever products you are using. If you are combining single tinctures, the dosage of your whole formulation will be similar to the recommended dosage of your individual herb tinctures (i.e. if the recommended dosage for the individual tinctures is 25 drops, this will be the dosage of your entire formulation, not 25 drops of each tincture). If you are making a tea, use 2-3 teaspoons of your combination of herbs (not each individual herb) for each cup of tea and steep it in a covered container for 10-15 minutes.

Your detox formulation should be taken for 3-6 months. It might be necessary to take it longer for anyone who suffers from significant levels of toxicity, particularly if they suffer from any chronic inflammatory conditions. When using any formulation over a period of months it is preferable to change one or two of the herbs in your formulation periodically rather than taking the same formulation over a long period of time.

In addition to using detoxifying herbs, it is also important to reduce exposure to additional sources of toxicity. Be sure to eat foods that are certified organic and reduce your use of toxic household cleaning products, commercial cosmetics, and other toxic chemicals in the home and workplace as much as possible.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE TONIC

In the second stage of herbal treatment we continue to use some version of first of the detox formulation, but we alternate it with a second formulation that supports the reproductive system. The second formulation should also include two to three herbs from the first group mentioned above, preferably the same herbs that are in your detox formula. In addition, it should include two gentle female reproductive tonic herbs. The best choices are cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), motherwort herb (Leonurus cardiaca), partridgeberry herb (Mitchella repens) and raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus). Angelica root (Angelica spp.) is also a good choice, but it can cause light sensitivity, especially when used during the warmer months by fair skinned individuals.

In the reproductive formulation you also want to include a warming circulatory herb as indicated for the detox formulation, however, in this case don’t use cayenne. Use ginger or turmeric according to the proportions given above, or chaste tree fruit (Vitex agnus-castus) at 10-15%. It’s OK if you use ginger or turmeric in both formulations.

Once more, it may be possible to find a suitable reproductive tonic that contains some of these herbs in retail stores, but only use a tincture or tea.

The female reproductive tonic is taken similar to the detox formulation: three times per day on an empty stomach before meals or bed. However, it is taken according to a very specific schedule. Begin taking the reproductive tonic one week before you expect to get your period, and continued taking it until one or two days after your period is over. Then switch back to the detox formulation and take it until one week before your next period. Do not take the two formulations at the same time. Continue alternating these formulations in this way for three to six cycles. When you decide to stop using the herbs, wait at least one complete cycle before you start trying to get pregnant.

As always, if you have any unusual reactions to these herbs, stop taking them immediately and consult with a herbalist or other natural health practitioner who is experienced with the use of Western herbs. Similarly, if you are taking any medications you should not follow this or any other herbal protocol without the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

There are no absolute guarantees with any treatment, but in my experience, probably 90% or more of the women who are having difficulty conceiving can experience a natural, healthy pregnancy if they improve their diet and lifestyle, and follow an herbal protocol similar to the one outlined above. It is not necessary to resort to the unnatural and expensive treatments that are offered by medical fertility clinics. The biggest obstacle most women will face is wanting to rush things. When women come to me with fertility issues, I strongly recommend that they be willing to allow one year for this process: six months of detox followed by six cycles alternating between the detox and reproductive formulations. Unfortunately, many of the women who are dealing with fertility issues are in their mid to late thirties or early forties and are in a hurry to have a child. Pregnancy is never something that should be rushed. It is a major life changing experience and it is important for prospective parents to be well prepared both for their own benefit, and for the health of their future child. Even for couples who are not dealing with fertility issues I recommend six to twelve months of detoxing along with supportive dietary and lifestyle changes for both parents. We’ve known for a long time that many toxins can alter the DNA of a developing child. There is now a growing body of evidence that toxins don’t have to alter DNA directly to be harmful. Even mild toxicity can alter the chemicals that control the expression of genes in ways that can have significant negative health consequences for our children. These affects can last for many generations.

On the positive side, with patience and a commitment to healthier living, it is possible for most women to experience a safe, natural pregnancy and childbirth, and in the process, get back in touch with those natural cycles and rhythms.

Michael Vertolli is a traditional clinical herbalist practicing in Vaughan (just north of Toronto). He is the Director of Living Earth School of Herbalism which offers introductory classes, certificate and diploma programs. For more information contact: Living Earth, 10971 Jane Street, Maple, Ontario L6A 1S1, phone 905-303-8723, website: www.livingearthschool.ca.

So many of my patients have lower back pain and/or hip pain that I want to focus on this condition today.  The “hips” are to outer most portion of the “pelvic bowl”.  The pelvis is really two ischial bones connected in the front by the pelvic bone which is really a tendon like structure.  In the back the hip bones are connected by the shield shaped bone (sacrum) with the little rattle snaky bits at the bottom (coccyx). Inside of the pelvic bowl is a cluster of tendons and ligaments.  The whole group is one unit of function.  So any distortion either within the pelvis or by structures attaching to it can disrupt its balance and ease of function.

The pelvis is the “hub” between the upper body and lower body. Distortions coming from the legs or from the torso will affect the whole body.  There are so many causes for distortion in these structures the list is quite long but here are a few common causes of lower back and hip pain: improper posture, emotional holding with the organs of elimination and the organs of elimination,  persistent moderate to severe menstrual cramping, insufficient hydration and injuries to any muscle or bone of the legs, feet, arms and torso.

Once enough distortion in these structures occurs, the ideal posture of sitting, standing and walking is compromised.  Muscles will protest with pain, nerves may get “pinched” and ligaments may contract.

Because the” jury is still out” on the evolutionary experiment of bi-pedalism, 85% of humans will experience back pain sometime in their lives.

Because bio-dynamic craniosacral therapy engages what modern medicine calls the body’s own self healing response, it is an ideal way to reduce and eliminate the distortions in your whole body.  It usually requires a number of sessions to resolve all of the physical and emotional holding patterns that generate pain and discomfort in this area.  My personal experience and those of thousands of my patients is that you will probable feel less pain after one session. For some people with depleted systems, a large amount of stress or severe problems, it will take more than one session to feel a difference. The work is cumulative so results build over time. If after three sessions you feel no improvement, I will refund the cost of your second two sessions.

Registered Craniosacral Therapist Michael Brightwood reduces or eliminates chronic pain and stress without surgery or medication in Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact him for an appointment today. 415-963-1696 or michael.brightwood@gmail.com.

In my practice I encounter many patients with a perturbed liver.  When I palpate a perturbed liver it can feel buzzy, tight, like a pop corn popper or percolator, slippery or like it’s gyrating. This tells me that it is not expressing it’s full measure of health.

In your prime, a healthy liver produces over 200 discreet biological compounds.  Some of them are communication enzymes that help regulate your immune system, digestive system, reproductive system and endocrine system.  Some enzymes help regulate metabolism and deal with stress.  The liver also filters toxins, poisons, pollution and body wastes.  The liver processes cholesterol as well.  As you can tell it is a very busy organ.

The environment that the liver evolved in was very much different than the lives we now lead.  It is therefore operating in conditions it was not designed for.  In the millions of years leading up to the emergence of homo sapiens sapiens—us, there was no pollution from mining and industry, every food was organic, and stress was generally very low.  Yes the hunting day adrenaline rush would be high when bringing down a woolly mammoth; but after that it was barbecue time for a month. Saturated and trans fats, refined sugars and carbohydrates were just not around.

Today our liver is overworked.  When it gets that way it begins to loose effectiveness in one or more of the areas it’s supposed to be doing.  If your immune system gets compromised you can catch colds and flu more easily. Auto-immune diseases can arise.  This is when your body’s immune system over-reacts to it’s own tissues—arthritis, lupis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimotos disease, Guillian-Barre Syndrome, myosythia gravis, psoriosis is just a short list.  The other side of auto immune disorders is when your immune system attacks food and nutrients that are usually good for you.  Allergies and food intolerances are part of this response. Cancer is a failure of your immune system to destroy normally occurring cancer cells in your body.

When your liver slips up on the digestive system you can experience acid reflux, indigestion, Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowel syndrome to name a few.

If it’s your endocrine system you can experience endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, painful menstrual cramps, prostate illnesses including cancer, infertility, thyroid conditions like Graves Disease and hypo or hyper thyroidism.

None of these is any fun to have to experience. So what can you do?  Take better care of your liver.  Know that just being alive in modern times is a stress on your liver.  Reduce  or eliminate your intake of caffeine, alcohol, refined sugars and carbohydrates, meditate, exercise and offer your liver some strong herbal support.

I use Gaia Herbs brand supplements because they are organic, made in the USA and I know the production manager there.  Other manufacturers make quality products also.  I use New Chapter Brand “Liver Force” a mushroom based product.  Find a product you like that contains astragalus, milk thistle, skullcap, bupleurum, rhodiola and licorice.  Take it daily.  Also consider specific support for your thyroid and adrenal glands.  More on this later.

Your liver is a busy organ.  Your good health relies on your caring for it.  Neglect or abuse it at your own risk.  Remember it’s your body and you are responsible for it.  I can assist and guide you but what you put into your body is up to you!

Registered Craniosacral Therapist Michael Brightwood reduces or eliminates chronic pain and stress without surgery or medication and promotes health through his practice in Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area.

There are many reasons why I support Ron Paul, but a major one has to do with his devotion to your freedom of choice.

He is a shining example of how one solitary voice can inspire necessary change. Dr. Paul is nearly single-handedly leading the charge against the perverted relationship between multi-national corporations and the U.S. government.

Ron Paul is a constitutionalist who seeks to minimize abuse by government; therefore, he is not a very popular figure in many corporate circles. Nevertheless, there is an increasing groundswell of public support for him, which the completion of the 2008 presidential election did nothing to deter.

He is in the news every bit as much now as while he was campaigning—actually probably more so now, as a growing number of Americans are realizing the fatal flaws in our existing health care system.

With the recent focus on health care reform, I believe Dr. Paul’s ideas are spot-on in bringing about the changes this country really needs.

Government-Run Health Care—REALITY CHECK

Ron Paul is one of the few physicians serving in Congress, and one of even fewer Congressmen who are trying to decrease government involvement in your health care.

In terms of your health, Ron Paul:

* Wants to expand your ability to use alternative medicine and new treatments

* Opposes legislation that increases the FDA‘s legal powers

* Believes the government should never have the power to force you to get vaccinations

Sound familiar? These are things I’ve been passionate about for decades. Ron Paul could almost be my personal spokesman!

One of the courageous actions Dr. Paul has taken was introducing the Health Freedom Protection Act to Congress in 2005, a bill that would strongly and positively affect Mercola.com and many other natural health organizations, and the field of natural health in general. The bill would curb restrictions imposed by the FDA and FTC regarding health claims for dietary supplements.

Dr. Paul indeed favors health care reform, but NOT in its present form—meaning the “Affordable Health Care for America Act,” the bill that is the focus of debate right now in the Senate.

This bill could cost the U.S. nearly two trillion dollars.

And What Exactly Would Those Two Trillion Dollars Buy You?

a. The limiting of unnecessary, ineffective treatments and the elimination of fraud

b. The lowering of exorbitant health insurance premiums, along with incentives for physicians to provide charitable care to the poor

c. The provision for effective, inexpensive, holistic treatment alternatives and the establishment of new nutritional guidelines that actually make sense

d. Promotion of health instead of preoccupation with disease

e. None of the above

If you answered “e,” you get an A.

The fact is, Big Pharma has a choke hold over our government, which is most likely why you do not see any discussions about these very real, underlying problems.

The fact that our political entities are so subject to influence by special interests, combined with the monumental amounts of money big corporations spend to manipulate them, means that a government-run program cannot fix America’s broken health care system.

Because the government is PART OF America’s broken health care system.

In fact, the “solution” might even be worse than the problem. Already many of your personal freedoms are being threatened at the hands of the government, and there is language in this new reform that gives the federal government unprecedented power to meddle in your personal health care affairs.

What’s REALLY needed is a radical change in consciousness about what health and health care really is.

As long as your focus is on drugs and surgical interventions, you will never see the fundamental changes that are so desperately needed. It can only be accomplished by a radical change in how you, and how society as a whole, think about health.

Old Geezers Unite!

David Brooks, columnist for the New York Times, published a great article entitled “The Geezers’ Crusade”[i] which addresses the question of who and what is needed to propel social change.

Brooks predicts that the changes we need won’t be coming from Washington, and he makes the case that our eldest generation—not our youth—are in a unique position to be the catalyst for this change.

In order to make this argument, he cites the following research findings:

* Your brain is capable of creating new connections and even new neurons throughout your life, which refutes outdated views that old people are no longer educable due to declining brain function.

* People report being happier, more outgoing, more self-confident and warmer as they pass from middle age into old age, and advanced age affords them a better ability to grasp “the big picture.”

* The elderly tend to want to provide for future generations, and they are happier after doing so. Seniors who perform service for the young have more positive lives and better marriages than those who don’t.

If you’ve ever spent any time listening to a wise grandparent or other elder, you’ve probably already witnessed the wisdom that comes with age.

However, Brooks says that the odd thing is, in politics, the opposite behaviors are true.

Politicians by and large, are taking valuable resources from younger generations—in the form of money, freedom, and opportunity.

The federal government now spends seven times as much on the elderly as it does on children. In the private sphere, seniors provide wonderful gifts to their grandchildren. But in the public arena, they take them away.

Brooks writes:

“Spontaneous social movements can make the unthinkable thinkable, and they can do it quickly. It now seems clear that the only way the U.S. is going to avoid an economic crisis is if the oldsters take it upon themselves to arise and force change.

The young lack the political power. Only the old can lead a generativity revolution—millions of people demanding changes in health care spending and the retirement age to make life better for their grandchildren.

It may

seem unrealistic—to expect a generation to organize around the cause of non-selfishness. But in the private sphere, you see it every day. Old people now have the time, the energy and, with the Internet, the tools to organize.”

We often hear that children are our future. And the expanding enthusiasm Dr. Paul is generating among the youth in this country is truly remarkable.

Dr. Paul says:

“I think [my support] is rapidly growing, and I go to the college campuses frequently and always get large crowds out, and the young people are really very receptive to these views. I think that’s very important.

I don’t think true revolutions occur if you don’t have the next generation ready to accept those ideas. And it doesn’t mean that only young people do it, but if you get the support of the young people, it means they know there is something wrong with the system. They have to think about the change in the system and the reception there is very, very good.”

The younger generations are going to be making tough, critical decisions in the future, which affect the world. But perhaps the elderly are even more important in leading them where they need to go.

There is something that every one of you can do to move us onto the right path.

There are 1.5 million people who receive this newsletter.  (available at mercola.com)We CAN make a huge difference. If only a small fraction of you spread this message within your little community of family, friends, and co-workers, just imagine what we can accomplish together.

Your health is best served when the pH of your body is ever so slightly in the alkaline range of 7.35-7.45.  Neutral is 7.5.  Acid is anything above 7.5.  The diet and stress of the modern western diet insures that without conscious intervention your body will be acidic. If the pH becomes either too alkaline or too acidic, life  threatening problems can result.  Even if your body is only slightly out of balance for prolonged periods, serious conditions can result.

The most common causes of an overly acidic condition are the over-consumptions of fats, proteins, sugars, white flour products, and milled white rice. Chemicals added to or absorbed by foods — such as coloring, preservatives, pesticides, and synthetic drugs — are also acid to the system. Another dangerous combination is sugar and animal foods eaten together. As for grains, although they are acid forming, if grown organically they neither cause nor promote cancer. Whole grains have important fibers that promote healthy digestion, compared to meats, which contain no fiber. Fiber help push foods through the system. Whole grains with garden vegetables and sea vegetables, fresh green salads, and fruits should comprise the bulk of the diet — with vegetable, fruit, and herbal beverages taken between meals. If you combine grains appropriately like rice with sesame and corn with beans, you can get a full spectrum of amino acids, hence a complete protein Meat, fish, dairy, sweets, alcohol, and nuts should be kept to a minimum.  If you take the time to soak nuts in water overnight; they become non acidic.

If you have over-indulged, it helps your pH balance to eat plenty or oranges or fresh fruits to balance the acidity. Teas to drink for over acidity in the system are alfalfa, blessed thistle, buckthorn, dandelion, motherwort, mullein, red clover, watercress, and yarrow. If you find that you are craving sugar, try cutting down on salt intake. Replace foods containing refined white sugars with foods that contain “dark” sugars such as date, malt, maple, and molasses. Dark sugars are less acid-forming, and they contain alkaline-forming minerals and vitamins, which help in the combination of glucose in the body. Agave syrup is another kind of sweetener that serves your body well. Craving sugar can also be a sign to increase the protein in your diet.

ALKALINE-FORMING FOODS

Alkaline-forming foods should make up 75 to 85 percent of the diet.

1. Fruits, including citrus (except cranberries, plums, prunes, and rhubarb).

2. Vegetables, particularly sea vegetables, mustard greens, parsley, and spinach.

3. Alkaline grains — millet, buckwheat, and sprouted grains.

4. Human milk, non-fat milk, goat’s milk, all cheeses, plain yogurt, and egg yolks.

5. Tofu, soy sauce, a

6. Honey, agave syrup

7. Spices and herbs (except garlic).

8. Mineral, soda, and well water.

9. Natural wines and sake (no sulphites or pesticides).

10. Almonds, brazil nuts, and all sprouted seeds. By soaking the nuts, they begin to sprout.

11. Lima beans and sprouted beans.

ACID-FORMING FOODS

Acid-forming foods should make up 15 to 25 percent of the diet, depending upon lifestyle. If a person is more active, more fuel is needed than for a less active individual.

1. High protein foods, especially animal foods — meat, fish, dairy, and egg whites.

2. Brown rice, barley, wheat, oats, rye, corn, and breads.

3. Cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, macadamias, and filberts.

4. Butter, cream, and nut oils.

5. Lentils, navy beans, kidney beans, and adzuki beans.

6. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks.

7. White sugar and sugar substitutes, brown sugar, milk sugar, cane syrup, malt syrup, maple syrup, and molasses.

8. Cranberries, pomegranates, plums, prunes, and rhubarb.

9. Artificial and chemical additives and drugs.

Fats are considered one of the three major nutrients. They also lubricate and cleanse. Fats are neutral in the system unless they are overused; then they create acidity in the body.

Acknowledgment:  Much of this blog was taken from material written by Carrie L’Esperance, a holistic nutritionist in San Francisco

I’ve worked with a number of women who have struggled to conceive. The common theme has been each of these patients has had palpably disrupted reproductive organs. When I put my hands onto a patient, I am tracking a repertory impulse generated by the central nervous system. It produces a whole body fluidic wave that passes through the entire body. When there is an area in which the tissues are constricted I can feel it. The fluids are disrupted or perturbed. They feel like they are swirling or percolating. Disruption and constriction in the reproductive organs can be caused by a number of reasons:

-scar tissue from an operation

-muscle patterning from painful menstrual cramps

-uterine fibroids

-ovarian cysts

-trauma from an accident or fall(tailbone injuries even as a child)

-emotional stress

-sexual assault or abuse

-an alkaline diet

-too much caffeine and/or alcohol

-an overload of toxins

These and other reasons can contribute to a disruption of the reproductive system. I have used biodynamic craniosacral therapy to facilitate a restoration of health to reproductive systems to scores of women. Each of those who were hoping to conceive were subsequently able to do so. I also refer women hoping to conceive to a holistic nutritionist. In addition to professional support, life style changes are often necessary to help restore full functionality of the reproductive system. Some of these changes include: elimination of caffeine, alcohol, refined sugars and carbohydrates, reducing stress levels through exercise, yoga and meditation, a diet that supports an alkaline pH, and liver, thyroid and adrenal support supplements.

Registered Craniosacral Therapist Michael Brightwood works in Marin and the Bay Area and at Rancho la Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. Contact him for an appointment today. 415_963_1696 or michael.brightwood@gmail.com

The caffeine in coffee,  black, green and white tea, and guarana does not promote health—it is bad for it.  It oxidizes cells and nutrients, it ages you, it makes you more susceptible to a fairly long list of modern ailments including: inflammations of the skin, psoriasis, arthritis, digestive issues like acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome Crohn’s disease, endocrine system lapses like endometriosis, fibroids, cysts, prostate issues, thyroid issues, immune system failures including cancer. Caffeine generates an adrenal response. It does so by inducing a cortisol into your blood stream—your fight or flight survival response. Your adrenal glands produce cortisol which once in the bloodstream at levels produced by a normal dose of caffeine, is received in the brain which then begins to respond as if you had encountered a fight or flight situation.  The brain sends messages to your body which do the following:

1)   You get the clarity of thinking and the ability to process information quickly and efficiently.  This is what most people want caffeine for.

2)   Your blood sugar level increases in preparation for burning fuel to survive.

3)   Your heart rate and blood pressure increase to support the level of fuel that will be burned to survive.

4)   The muscles of your upper torso, arms, hips and legs tense in preparation to fight or flee.

5)   While in survival mode your body down regulates the immune system, the digestive system, the reproductive system and the endocrine system because while running from a sabre tooth tiger or bringing down a woolly mammoth you won’t be needing those systems and your body just might require those resources to survive.

Unless you work out with a punching bag or go run a mile or so your liver, which regulates metabolism, will notice that muscles aren’t burning fuel at the rate the were primed to do so, and the blood sugar level is too high for sedentary activity.  It will send messages to the pancreas for it to emit insulin to bring down the sugar level.  The liver also begins to filter out all of the bio-chemistry of the fight or flight response—false alarm.

Since the liver has so many other tasks to attend to, this regular use of caffeine which generates this false alarm, serves to overwork the liver.  This means that dealing with cholesterol, filtering toxic pollution you’ve breathed, eaten or drunk, managing your thyroid, and regulating immune, digestive and endocrine systems suffers.  Prolonged abuse of the liver can generate a wide spectrum of symptoms, conditions, and disease only some of which I’ve already listed.

The solution a longevity inducing herbal—ginseng or for a more yin response, Dong Quai.  These dried roots stimulate your pituitary gland which actually promotes the production of human growth hormone which counteracts oxidation of cells and promotes long life. Find a dose that gives you the wake up level you need and use it daily.  ginseng promotes longevity, caffeine promotes “shortgevity”. Caffeine can be used occasionally as a stimulant, just not every day.  Once or twice a week is a good compromise.  Drink a big glass of water first to dilute it’s effects on digestion.

Remember your life is full of choices.  It’s hard to give up pleasures.  It’s a free will planet—choose wisely.  Caffeine is a stressor, don’t you already have enough stress in your life?

Registered Craniosacral Therapist Michael Brightwood reduces or eliminates chronic pain and stress without surgery or medication in Marin and the Bay Area.

Call or email for an appointment today: 415-963-1696 or michael.brightwood@gmail.com

Think of the times you’ve successfully choked down tears.  You clamp your jaw, tighten the muscles of your neck and chest and hold them tightly for a number of minutes.  Your brain is sending nerve messages to your body for your chest, breathing diaphram and shoulders to heave and for your throat to sob. Because it’s an emotion this process in generated without your intending it to.  Your conscious mind decides either it’s not socially appropriate to cry just now, you’ve been taught not to cry by your family or you’re just not going to let that so and so see he’s upset you.  You invest that energy into the muscle you are holding tightly.  When I’ve done it successfully my throat burns and my chest feels tight. The energy doesn’t disappear it just gets held in the tissues. If you load a number of opportunities to cry into those tissues, the natural at rest state of those muscles becomes so invested with emotional energy that the muscles are distorted by being chronically tight.  This results in muscles and bones nearby being pulled and distorted.  Over time a chronic pain may result, not just at the site of the held energy, but at a structure connected to that area.

In a similar fashion when you have a trauma like a car crash were you think you are going to die, if you get assaulted or abused or if you have an injury while you are emotionally upset about something, these else, these can cause some of that emotional state to get “locked” into the tissues with the trauma. Chronic pain unresponsive to normal medical or physical medicine can be the result.

Craniosacral therapy offers a gentle, efficient way to resolve the way your body hold on to such disruptions. Registered Craniosacral Therapist Michael Brightwood reduces or eliminates chronic pain and stress without surgery or medication in Marin and the Bay Area. Contact him for an appointment today: 415-963-1696 or michael.brightwood@gmail.com