Friday, September 26, 2008

Where to begin when changing you dietary lifestyle...

Hello Everyone,

It has been a busy several weeks to say the least. My focus lately has been to broaden my knowledge on nutrition and restoring my diet to traditional methods that are healthful, whole foods. 

As I mentioned before, the Weston A. Price Foundation is a tremendous non-profit organization that has excellent information on their site. Here are some helpful guidelines to follow when making changes toward improving your health. Be sure to go on their site and look around. You will learn so much each time you check it out.

Here are some helpful "Do's and Don'ts" to keep in mind as you begin to take the steps toward nourishing your body with healthy whole foods. These are principles that the Weston A. Price Foundation has created. These are the principles that I strive to live by.

Dietary Guidelines
  1. Eat whole, natural foods.
  2. Eat only foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do.
  3. Eat naturally-raised meat including fish, seafood, poultry, beef, lamb, game, organ meats and eggs.
  4. Eat whole, naturally-produced milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as whole yogurt, cultured butter, whole cheeses and fresh and sour cream.
  5. Use only traditional fats and oils including butter and other animal fats, extra virgin olive oil, expeller expressed sesame and flax oil and the tropical oils—coconut and palm.
  6. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, in salads and soups, or lightly steamed.
  7. Use whole grains and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients.
  8. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.
  9. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb or fish and use liberally in soups and sauces.
  10. Use herb teas and coffee substitutes in moderation.
  11. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.
  12. Use unrefined Celtic seasalt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.
  13. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and expeller expressed flax oil.
  14. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, dehydrated cane sugar juice and stevia powder.
  15. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.
  16. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.
  17. Use only natural supplements.
  18. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.
  19. Think positive thoughts and minimize stress.
  20. Practice forgiveness.

Dietary Dangers

  1. Don't eat commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes, crackers, TV dinners, soft drinks, packaged sauce mixes, etc.
  2. Avoid all refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose and high fructose corn syrup.
  3. Avoid white flour, white flour products and white rice.
  4. Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils.
  5. Avoid all vegetable oils made from soy, corn, safflower, canola or cottonseed.
  6. Do not use polyunsaturated oils for cooking, sauteing or baking.
  7. Avoid fried foods.
  8. Do not practice veganism; animal products provide vital nutrients not found in plant foods.
  9. Avoid products containing protein powders.
  10. Avoid pasteurized milk; do not consume lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk or imitation milk products.
  11. Avoid battery-produced eggs and factory-farmed meats.
  12. Avoid highly processed luncheon meats and sausage containing MSG and other additives.
  13. Avoid rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found in granolas, quick rise breads and extruded breakfast cereals, as they block mineral absorption and cause intestinal distress.
  14. Avoid canned, sprayed, waxed, bioengineered or irradiated fruits and vegetables.
  15. Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins. Most soups, sauce and broth mixes and commercial condiments contain MSG, even if not so labeled.
  16. Avoid caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks. Avoid chocolate.
  17. Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum cookware or aluminum-containing deodorants.
  18. Do not drink fluoridated water.
  19. Avoid synthetic vitamins and foods containing them.
  20. Do not drink distilled liquors.
  21. Do not use a microwave oven.

All is well,

Dr. M

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

It is all about poop!


Listen up, it is all about poop! I am always asking my patients about their digestive processes because it really it is all about how your body is functioning overall. To my patient's surprise, within a couple of treatments and sometimes a few supplements they feel amazingly better ... and for the first time in a long time they are happy poopers.

This may seem silly, but everyone needs to read this blog a couple of times and pass it on to your closest friends. Whatever you do, DO NOT keep this information a secret! You could save them a lot of pain and heartache when it comes right down to it. Let's face it, when you aren't pooping, you aren't happy!

So let's break this down a bit... when you have pain, infection, inflammation, or any dysfunctional symptom/signal from your body, please pay attention to your digestion. I bet you didn't know that if you have a dysfunctional digestive system you will have very unhappy sinuses -- and you probably aren't sleeping well either. Our bodies are whole beings and everything is connected. I cannot tell you how many of my patients have less pain (in the low back, neck, knee, etc) after I help them get their digestive system in order. It literally is your 2nd brain. 

 The British take their stools much more seriously than the Americans. Researchers at the Bristol Royal Infirmary—a hospital in Bristol, England—developed a visual guide for stools. This guide is called the Bristol Stool Form Scale, BSF scale for short. It is a self-diagnostic tool that helps skittish patients and doctors alike discuss this delicate subject without getting embarrassed.

Type 1 has spent the longest time in the colon and type 7 has spent the least.  Stools at the lumpy end of the scale are hard to pass and often require a lot of straining.  Stools at the loose or liquid end of the spectrum can be too easy to pass - the need to pass them is urgent and accidents can happen.  The ideal stools are types 3 and 4, especially type 4, as they are most likely to glide out without any fuss.

What type of stools are best?

  • The feeling you need to go is definite but not irresistible
  • Once you sit down on the toilet there is no delay
  • No conscious effort or straining is needed
  • The stool glides out smoothly and comfortably
  • Afterwards there is only a pleasant feeling of relief
  • All this is most likely if the stool is Bristol Stool Form Scale, type 4
I hope this has been an informative blog for you. This is very important to understand and a subject that you should get comfortable with!

Be well,
Dr. M

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Toys that are beautiful, eco-friendly, and totally 100% indisputably fun


I like to start my Christmas shopping in the fall because there is nothing better than avoiding the holiday rush of the malls or guessing what people may like at the last minute. Well I wanted to share because my list of favorite toy shops just got a little longer. Apricot and Ivy has beautiful, safe and eco-friendly playthings that I know your friends and family will enjoy. 

Special offer: Get a $10 rebate on orders over $75 through 10/10 when you mention "Cool Mom Picks" in comments at checkout. Gift wrap is free--just ask!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

The glass is half full -- really!


If you are a patient of mine, you know I practice the power of positive thinking through affirmations, and I strongly believe in the law of attraction. I am excited to post about this because it is essential for everyone to start thinking more positively in order to improve their health. The greatest thing about positive thought is that it is inside of all of us right now. We don't have to buy it or search for it, we've got it readily available. We just have to start practicing!

Numerous studies have shown that the power of positive thoughts actually re-route neurons in your brain, so your brain gets "trained" to think positively after you say a positive affirmation or think a positive thought. When you think positively, your body's pH becomes more alkaline, your metabolic rate increases, your blood sugar lowers, and your immune system gets a boost. Pain perception is less, and energy levels go up. All from one positive thought.

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds. Positive and negative thinking are both contagious. All of us affect, in one way or another, the people we meet. This happens instinctively and on a subconscious level, through thoughts and feelings transference and through body language.

People sense our aura and are affected by our thoughts. Is it any wonder that we want to be around positive persons and shun negative ones? People are more disposed to help us if we are positive. They dislike and avoid anyone broadcasting negativity. Negative thoughts, words and attitude bring up negative and unhappy moods and actions. When the mind is negative, poisons are released into the blood, which cause more unhappiness and negativity. This is the way to failure, frustration, disappointment, and ultimately sickness and pain.

In order to turn the mind toward the positive, inner work and training are required. Attitude and thoughts do not change overnight. Read about this subject, think about its benefits and persuade yourself to try it. I recommend any book by Louise Hay. The power of thoughts is a mighty power that is always shaping our life. This shaping is usually done subconsciously, but it is possible to make the process a conscious one. Even if the idea seems strange give it a try, as you have nothing to lose, but only to gain. Ignore what others might say or think about you, if they discover that you are changing the way you think and live.

Always visualize only favorable and beneficial situations. Use positive words in your inner dialogues or when talking with others. Smile a little more, as this helps to think positively. Disregard any feelings of laziness or a desire to quit. If you persevere, you will transform the way your mind thinks.

Once a negative thought enters your mind, you have to be aware of it and endeavor to replace it with a constructive one. The negative thought will try again to enter your mind, and then you have to replace it again with a positive one. It is as if there are two pictures in front of you, and you choose to look at one of them and disregard the other. Persistence will eventually teach your mind to think positively and ignore negative thoughts.

In case you feel any inner resistance when replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, do not give up, but keep looking only at the beneficial, good and happy thoughts in your mind.

It does not matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positively, expect only favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly. It may take some time for the changes to take place, but eventually they do.

All is well,
Dr. M