Author: Dr. Lynn Mikel

Detoxification and Purification

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Detoxification and Purification

Our topic this month is detoxification and purification. I have recommended detox for many patients. This is an excellent opportunity to learn why the body needs purification, how weight accumulates even when calories are not in excess, and, more importantly, how to begin losing stubborn weight.

We use Standard Process products to enhance results along with a variety of individualized protein powders that speed results and satisfy cravings by providing beneficial nutrients. I may also recommend additional products for optimum health according to your specific metabolism.

This is a great opportunity to invest in your health, beauty, and well-being!

Detoxification and Purification

Detoxification is the process of of enhancing elimination of toxic substances out of our bodies. When organs of elimination are overwhelmed or under functioning then toxins are stored away in fat cells. When weight loss is stubborn or not related to caloric intake then it is most likely due to the accumulation of toxins. Toxins can accumulate in anyone who has consumed processed foods, soda, sweets, non-organic foods, meat and poultry with hormones and antibiotics, restaurant foods, coffee, alcohol, dairy products, and tap water. Other exposures that contribute are petroleum produts, pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hairspray, air fresheners, new carpet, paint, furniture, or flooring. Dental amalgums, household cleaning products, and cosmetics are other sources of possible harmful chemicals.

The main organs and systems in the body that assist in eliminating these toxins are the liver, colon, gallbladder, lungs, skin, lymph, and blood. The more toxic our environments, the harder these systems have to work. If not able to keep up with the burden, toxins will be stored in fat cells to protect our brain and other vital organs from oxidative damage. A healthy detox/purification program will provide the proper nutrition to help the systems of elimination function their best as well as protect cells from the oxidative damage that is possible during a detox process.

Benefits of Detoxification and Purification

More energy and vitality
Weight loss: average for 3 weeks has been 8-15 lbs
Better sleep
Cleanse mucous
Reduce inflammation
Improve mental clarity
Control sugar, salt, alcohol, junk food, and nicotine cravings
Balance hormones, improve libido
Strengthen the immune system

Related Articles/Links

Check out the Standard Process website for more information about purification with their products, frequently asked questions, what to expect, and recipies.

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Paradigm Shift, Energy Medicine, Quantum Science, Consciousness

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

This month, I would like to share with you a summary I wrote after attending a conference on energy medicine a couple years ago. This topic may be a little esoteric for some but it was exciting to see science confirming, with devices and measurements, the effect of thought and energy on the physical body. Practitioners who work with touch therapies like massage, craniosacral therapy, and acupuncture see the beneficial effects of intention in the results they achieve and now there are instruments to measure physical change! Our mind is perhaps our most powerful tool to create healing. Practice in visualization, considering a best outcome, praying for healing, keeping our thoughts on what we want instead of what we don’t want. . . they all help us step into that realm of possibility that over time becomes the real of probability that can be our reality! Enjoy!

Paradigm Shift, Energy Medicine, Quantum Science, Consciousness

Several years ago I attended a symposium called Paradigm Shift, Energy Medicine, Quantum Science, Consciousness. There is an evolution of awareness that our thoughts truly are creating reality and this symposium brought scientists together to explain, demonstrate, and confirm what more and more people in medicine are experiencing. I will summarize the conference as it had meaning to me with the intention that it may offer you something to think about.

Reality is really a wave of unformed, uncreated, un-originated possibility. Matter or the physical is only one aspect of being. Physical, mental, vital, and bliss are all other states described and it is from these states of consciousness that we mediate the perceived reality. And, we have a choice!

Consciousness and possibility

Quantum collapse

Physical Mental Vital Bliss

Disease is possible at each level and health can be affected through mediation at each level. For example, organs are associated with chakras which are associated with feelings. Real healing and change takes place in quantum leaps. That is, through the assignment of meaning.

Energy medicines such as homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and craniosacral therapy are techniques and medicines that mediate on dimensions of reality beyond the physical. Often there is a concurrent effect on the physical but many times it is more dramatic on some other plane. How we perceive meaning and changes in habits can change what we experience. Creative healing involves the patient and physician in a creative process together making a quantum leap. This is a discontinuous process, an example of which can be seen when an electron moves from one orbit to another. As it jumps, it disappears and then reappears. This is not a linear change. It is quantum.

Life as we know it is more than electrical energy. We are becoming aware and even able to measure magnetic type fields. This magnetism is more subtle and less affected by interference. These fields are not linear and not in space and time as we know it. Devices are now available that are able to record and deliver this energy. It is known that the heart emits a field and that each heart field induces flow into the tissue of people around it. It also registers perceptions ahead in time and space beyond immediate surroundings. (For more information, check out “The Electricity of Touch”.)

An example of manipulation of this energy was given in relation to inflammation. Inflammation in tissue is the biochemical result of excess negative ions. Hands and various instruments are now able to alter charge density with resulting reduction in inflammation very effectively. Contact with cells seems to amplify this energy into tissue as a whole, referred to as an electromagnetic whisper. This energy seemingly does not travel in linear time and space and it is more sensitive to frequency than amplitude. The frequency that affects the human body appears to be very subtle or sensitive, confirming in techniques like craniosacral where the best effect is often a result of the practitioner doing less not more. And, all touch treatments appear in some way to be a mechanical signal transduction for the heart field of the practitioner.

Homeopathy appears to improve the physical body but act within the realm of the vital body. Succession or the shaking required to make and activate a remedy may in some way transmit the vital, vibration imprint of the substance into the water molecules of the dilution. Water has some incredible power as a medium of transference for magnetism.

Mind – Body implies mental meaning affecting the physical. When we have insights or awakenings where do we jump to? The supramental, spiritual, OM. Correcting our aberrations requires quantum leaps! Healing can mean regaining holiness or wholeness. This ability to alter our mode of consciousness collapse feels like surrender to a different reality. And it is our way Home. Ego in partnership with the Quantum Self may mean man in partnership with God. . . co-creating.

Finding Meaning

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Finding Meaning

A professional peer gave me an assessment to complete that asked me to quantify from 1-10 where I scored in relation to my diet, sleep, digestive health, stress, water intake, life purpose, weight, and physical health. With the objective numbers I saw I could certainly improve a couple areas but was pleased to see more that half near the optimal number. Life purpose was near the top and I reflected on how that got to be there and why it is such a passion of mine to empower my patients to find their life purpose and the passion that evokes in their lives.

Most of you have lives that are filled with responsibilities, opportunities, stress, and delights. For many of you finding health enables you to better participate in and appreciate your life. However, those who engage in naturopathic medicine emerge into a more sophisticated model of health that is less mechanistic but involves a deeper attention to how the body interacts with emotion and consciousness. If we view health solely from a mechanistic model then we deny the mystery of healing. The mind has a hard time grasping mystery. It is my belief we are not human beings in a spiritual world but spiritual beings in a human world!

Twenty five years ago someone told me I had a purpose and a light bulb went on. Somewhere deep within me it awakened something I knew was true. It gave me permission to live following what felt right for me instead of trying to please everybody else. I read a book called Love is Letting Go of Fear and it was a catalyst for yet another shift. I decided to live as close to the Presence of God as possible and that God was Love. This small simple book made me look at all my emotions as evolving from either love or fear. If I was angry it might be because I was afraid of being hurt or not getting “enough”. I began to practice challenging those fearful feelings because deep within me I knew I was loved and could trust a larger natural spiritual essence of life to guide me. My purpose in practicing the Presence of God became simply to learn to love better.

I read the following in an article by Dr. Rachel Naomi Ramen:

“I had a man in my practice with osteogenic sarcoma of the leg, which was removed at the hip in order to save his life. He was 24 years old when I started working with him and he was a very angry man with a lot of bitterness, a deep sense of injustice and a very deep hatred for all the well people, because it seemed so unfair to him that he had suffered this terrible loss so early in life. After working with this man for a couple of years I saw a profound shift. He began ‘coming out of himself’. He began visiting other people in the hospital who had suffered severe physical losses and he would tell me the most wonderful stories about these visits. Once he visited a young woman who was almost his own age. It was a hot day in Palo Alto and he was in running shorts so his artificial leg showed when he came into her hospital room. The woman was so depressed about the loss of both her breasts that she wouldn’t even look at him, wouldn’t pay any attention to him. The nurses had left her radio playing, probably in order to cheer her up. So, desperate to get her attention, he unstrapped his leg and began dancing around the room on one leg, snapping his fingers to the music. She looked at him in amazement, and then she burst out laughing and said, ‘Man, if you can dance, I can sing.’

Now I want to tell you something that happened at the end of this man’s therapy. At the end of therapy you do a review—people talk about what was significant to them and you share what was significant to you as a therapist working with someone. We were reviewing our two years of work together; I opened his file and there folded up were several drawings he had made early on. I wanted to return these to him, so I unfolded them and handed them to him. He looked through them and said, ‘Oh, look at this.’ And he showed me one of the earliest drawings. I had suggested to him that he draw a picture of his body. He had drawn a picture of a vase, and running through this vase was a deep black crack. This was his image of his body and he had taken a black crayon and had drawn the crack over and over and over. He was grinding his teeth with rage at the time. It was very, very painful because it seemed to me that this vase could never function as a vase again. It could never hold water.

Now, two years later, he came to this picture and looked at it and said, ‘Oh, this one isn’t finished.’ And I said, extending the box of crayons, ‘Why don’t you finish it?’ he picked a yellow crayon and putting his finger on the crack he said, ‘You see, here—this is where the light comes through.’ And with the yellow crayon he drew light streaming through the crack in his body.

We can grow strong at the broken places.”

She also retells a story by Dr. Bernie Siegel about John, a landscaper. He was a man who wanted, in spite of his cancer, to make beauty in the world. Rachel surmised in her article “One can serve purpose with impaired health. One might even regain health through serving purpose as John did!”

Reach out to those you love. Make decisions that feel right for your well-being and wholeness. Trust there is an invisible power of which we are all a part that is supporting your life. Live like there is no tomorrow. This is it! This is not a dress rehearsal! Don’t burden yourself with regrets! Remember “All is Well” and act accordingly. You will empower your loved ones to do the same but it has to start with you!

Flower Remedies

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Flower Remedies

Flower essences are the blossoms of plants prepared from a sun infusion in a bowl of water, further diluted, then preserved with brandy. These preparations embody the distinct imprint, or energetic pattern, of each flower species.

Each flower has the potential to help by treating a specific negative emotional state.

The man who developed the Bach Flower Remedies, Dr. Edward Bach “studied medicine at the University College Hospital, London, and was a House Surgeon there. He worked in general practice, having a set of consulting rooms in Harley Street, and as a bacteriologist and later a pathologist he worked on vaccines and a set of homoeopathic nosodes still known as the seven Bach nosodes.

Despite the success of his work with orthodox medicine he felt dissatisfied with the way doctors were expected to concentrate on diseases and ignore the people who were suffering them. He was inspired by his work with homoeopathy but wanted to find remedies that would be purer and less reliant on the products of disease. So in 1930 he gave up his lucrative Harley Street practice and left London, determined to devote the rest of his life to the new system of medicine that he was sure could be found in nature.

Just as he had abandoned his old home, office and work, so now he abandoned the scientific methods he had used up until now. Instead he chose to rely on his natural gifts as a healer, and use his intuition to guide him. One by one he found the remedies he wanted, each aimed at a particular mental state or emotion. His life followed a seasonal pattern: the spring and summer spent looking for and preparing the remedies, the winter spent giving help and advice to all who came looking for them. He found that when he treated the personalities and feelings of his patients their unhappiness and physical distress would be alleviated as the natural healing potential in their bodies was unblocked and allowed to work once more.

In 1934 Dr Bach moved to Mount Vernon in Oxfordshire. In the lanes and fields round about he found the remaining remedies that he needed to complete the series. He would suffer the emotional state that he needed to cure and then try various plants and flowers until he found the one single plant that could help him. In this way, through great personal suffering and sacrifice, he completed his life’s work.

Dr Bach passed away peacefully on the evening of November 27th, 1936. He was only 50 years old, but he had left behind him several lifetime’s experience and effort, and a system of medicine that is now used all over the world.”

I use the flower remedies from Bach Flowers as well as the North American flower essences from Fes Flowers. Most often the remedies are made in combinations of three to five flower essences to assist with the emotional state or cause of anxiety a person is having during a specific period. They work at a similar vibrational level as homeopathy, meaning some energetic resonance is felt and affected to bring a person to better balance.

One of the most well known Bach Flower remedies is called Rescue Remedy. It is a combination of Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and Star of Bethlehem which together help one deal with any emergency or stressful event. This remedy has helped me with nerves before exams in medical school, with grief during the loss of my first husband, and with anxiety giving presentations! Children and animals are very sensitive to the effects of flower remedies as they are often more open to energetic influences. They have fewer ego defenses to judge and less intellectual challenge as to how things work. For example, one night my beloved dog, Cubbsy, an 8 pound poodle, had a seizure. His poor little body was wracked with spasms and his eyes were rolled back in his head. It went on for some time and did not look good as blood started coming from his mouth. I ran downstairs and looked in my cupboard for supplements or something that might help. The Rescue Remedy bottle caught my eye so I poured it over my hands and ran back upstairs. Cubbsy was still seizing. I began stroking the remedy over his poor little head and within 5 seconds the seizure stopped. He was taken to the vet that night but by the time we arrived, he was back to normal. I am convinced the remedy helped him out of the seizure and contributed to his good recovery.

Flower essence remedies are taken as drops under the tongue three times per day or as needed. If sensitive to the small amount of alcohol they contain, they can be used topically over the wrist or dropped into boiling water to evaporate the alcohol. Flower remedies are not addictive or dangerous and can easily be taken in conjunction with other types of treatments. They are especially helpful for treating mental and emotional problems and are suitable and safe for all ages including children, pregnant women, and animals.

During these times of change and uncertainty emotional and spiritual support is important to keep our perspective on what we want, not what we fear! Flower remedies are a nice adjunct to our self care. I would be happy to formulate a personalized remedy for you.

Depression and Naturopathic Treatment

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

 

Depression and Naturopathic Treatment

I am currently reading a great book called The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. It describes the biochemistry disruption of various moods and their link to nutritional deficiencies. As Summer approaches and we are getting a little more sun, I notice many people’s mood pick up as well as my own! However, depression is still quite a problem for many people and it can be quite common to blame yourself which only compounds the problem. I would like to share some information and approaches to consider for treating depression. Please call for a visit if you are struggling with your mood and we can explore what is appropriate for you!

Depression is one of the most common medical problems in the U.S. affecting some 17 million people. It affects the whole body, nervous system, mood, thoughts, behavior, appetite, and sleep. People can be chronically angry and irritable, feel sad, or feel very little emotion at all.

Causes of depression: stress or a traumatic event, imbalances in the brain, untreated low thyroid conditions, nutritional deficiencies, poor diet, high sugar diet, lack of exercise, allergies (including food allergies), hypoglycemia, and other medical conditions.

Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers in the brain that regulate mood. The most important ones related to mood and depression are serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Low serotonin levels can cause depression, along with anxiety and sleep problems. Antidepressants like Prozac work by keeping levels of serotonin more available within the nerve area of communication called a synapse. Tryptophan is the amino acid that is the foundation molecule to make serotonin. Foods that support serotonin production are carbohydrates but the nutrients that are specifically needed to make serotonin come from tryptophan, B6, vitamin C, and the B complex. Tryptophan is an amino acid or protein building block and it is plentiful in milk and turkey. Tryptophan, in a supplement form of 5HTP, is often prescribed by naturopaths for depression. Again, it supplies the body with the foundation molecule to make serotonin if it needs it. If people’s depression is a result of low serotonin they usually respond quickly to this modified form of the amino acid tryptophan.
This should not be taken if a person is using a serotonin enhancing anti-depressant as a side effect of excess serotonin may occur causing the same symptoms as the one needing to be improved.

Norepinephrine deficiency can cause depressions especially with associated fatigue and low energy. Norepinephrine is supported by improving the availability of the amino acid tyrosine. We find tyrosine in foods like meats and cheese. In order for tyrosine to make norepinephrine we also need adequate amounts of B6 and Vitamin C.

St. John’s Wort works by inhibiting serotonin reuptake. This results in keeping serotonin around longer and there by simulating an effect of higher levels. This should not be taken when on an SSRI anti-depressant medication.

Some people have a metabolic deficiency in their ability to produce the essential fatty acid GLA. They are typically depressed since youth, and find that alcohol helps. Risk for this deficiency is greatest in those of Celtic Irish, Scandinavian, Native American, Welsh, and Scottish backgrounds. Borage/ Evening primrose oil and cofactors B6, zinc, magnesium, niacin and Vitamin C will provide the needed building blocks to produce the needed essential fatty acid and resulting prostaglandins to support mood.

Other supports for depression include:

Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, rice, legumes and whole grains with exception of wheat (wheat gluten is linked to depression and is a common food allergy). Complex carbs promote serotonin production. If you are depressed and anxious concentrate on complex carbs such as fresh fruits and vegetables or whole grain rice for feeling more relaxed.

Include quality proteins from egg whites, turkey, salmon, white fish, and spirullina that are high in the amino acid tyrosine if your depression is associated with fatigue and lethargy.

Avoid all artificial sweeteners but especially aspartame or NutraSweet, this may interfere with serotonin production and can disrupt brain chemistry associated with insomnia and headaches.

Avoid all concentrated sugars and the quick rise in blood sugar which is often followed by a feeling of fatigue and depression. Try stevia as an herbal alternative or agave, a low glycemic sweetener made from fruit.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods as these quickly deplete the minerals and cofactors to synthesize amino acids into neurotransmitters. They also spike blood sugar and deplete the adrenals both leading to fatigue.

Keep your mind active and get plenty of rest and regular exercise.

Work with your conscious and unconscious thoughts and ideologies. Even our brain chemistry is affected by our thoughts which are creating our perception of our life and experiences. If most of our responses to the world are unconscious then get help and learn ways to change patterns that are not bringing you happiness or peace. A skilled therapist, a group, books, spiritual teachings, and a multitude of techniques are available to work on attitude and thinking.

Light therapy is helpful in the production of serotonin and melatonin, another biochemical that supports a positive mood. Full spectrum light is needed for at least half an hour a day to improve mood.

Treating low thyroid, blood sugar problems, and other medical conditions often results in a better sense of well-being and mood.

As a naturopath, I use an array of nutrients, herbs, and homeopathy to help people with depression. The examples I have listed are only a few and should be tried under the supervision of a naturopath. There are many alternative treatments for other emotional and mental conditions as well, such as anxiety, attention disorders, fear, and grief.

Using food, specific nutrients, and herbs can be done from several perspectives. The scientific tradition uses intellect, knowledge, and results to form a rationale for treatment. As a Naturopath, I am inclined to combine the scientific tradition with a more healing perspective. The mentioned medicines may be prescribed as outlined previously but hopefully there is also attention to the soul through which the symptom of depression is expressing some challenge. Each physical and emotional challenge that I see is an opportunity to take time and attention to the individual and their life. We all need and desire to be heard and understood. The unconscious wants our attention and to explore it is to have more insight into the thoughts and perspective from which we react and act out our life. Nourishing with medicine can go beyond physical substances and may also include words, touch, environment, consciousness, prayer, and intention. All these have as dramatic effect on biochemistry as do specific substances. These are often neglected or discounted by the scientific world because they are harder to measure and quantify. Who hasn’t felt uplifted by a walk in a garden, the sound of a baby’s laugh, an inspired sermon, a hug, or someone taking the time to listen to our life story?

My favorite quote from the past week was, “Practice is progress but perfection is prison”! The other one, from a physicist was, “My parents taught me there is always an answer”. Keep looking for your answers and “expect a miracle”!

Take care and call for an appointment or bring it up at your next appointment if depression or some other mood just seems to persist!

Dr. Mikel

The Nature of Suffering

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

The Nature of Suffering

Michael Jackson’s surprising death reminded me, as death does, that life is short so we need to make the most of it. He certainly did! Wasn’t it amazing to see all those clips of his life and to see his spirit infused into his work and his art with as much of his heart as talent? Yes, Michael had some things that haunted him. We all do. In this newsletter I will share a paper I wrote a year after the death of my husband in 1998. He died from lung cancer. It was a very difficult and painful time but also a time that brought the meaning of my life into greater focus.

The Nature of Suffering

I have experienced suffering as have most people, so it is only from my experience and nature that I can describe and relate to it. When I talk about it with my daughter or friends, I am even more aware how personal and unique it is. There are aspects of it, though, that are trans personal, like archetypes, a common human experience. Coming upon the completion of the first year of my husband’s death seems a time to reflect on this quality of humanness with some hope that there is purpose and meaning to it as there is to most emotion.

In our Christmas letter this year I reflected that it seemed pain and suffering did prepare us and allowed us to be willing to let go of Chuck, even though our hearts were still hanging on. Suffering can be on so many levels but mostly it means to me that I am disconnected from the nature of my soul. My first thoughts about it were that it meant losing someone you love . . . like my true love . . . or losing a special friend, or job, or thing that can’t be replaced. It seemed to be about what we are attached to. Then, I thought about suffering with Chuck and my daughter at times . . . hurting with their hurts physically and emotionally. I thought about my physical pains and health challenges that require attention at times and suffering. Suffering with loneliness, worry, defeat, sadness, and weariness. Suffering from an emptiness at times that could seemingly engulf me and then suffering because it doesn’t and I am still here to face this life that brings suffering.

I have worked with my dreams for over ten years and this past year my Jungian therapist said something that especially caught my attention. He reflected that the dream life often connects with the numinous. It is that glimpse into our soul that provides the perspective of what we are cut off from. I think that is what brings suffering . . . being cut off consciously from our soul. The other side of that is union with our soul is where we find meaning and joy. Union with our soul is what love seems to reflect. Relationships often allow us to experience a connection to the Self or our soul. We may project it on to the person of our affection and say they bring us love but really it is the relationship that awakens love in us. The dreams and goals we pursue, I have come to believe, are our soul calling us deeper and more intimately into our whole Self. These dreams and goals bring us into roles that foster our contact with more sides of our self and realization of our soul’s expression. A good example is my mother-daughter relationship. It brings me into the mother archetype and the capacity to experience love that only Mothers can know. But, it also touches a place in the numinous that reflects the nature of creation. I have experienced it through my body during pregnancy and in bringing forth of life. I continue to experience more aspects of motherhood as my nurturing supports my child’s growth and development. I appreciate that this archetypal role serves to heighten an awareness of a mystery and wonder that is greater and more meaningful than myself.

Suffering is not being one with this mystery and feeling the absence and loss of its presence and potential. I have felt this mystery in my relationships but have suffered when I have lost them. I have felt suffering with my body, with physical pain, with loss of vitality and disease. For me, however, it is the suffering that continues to motivate me to search for the meaning that exists even in the pain. My soul is not satisfied with the state of suffering, I must seek meaning or greater purpose in the feelings and somehow I know and have experienced the transformation that comes through the not denying and even accepting the state of suffering. As this capacity for acceptance grows there is room for forgiveness, compassion, humility, and a growing ability to receive from others and from God. It seems a paradox that with acknowledgement, experience and acceptance of most feelings there is then the release from their hold and an ability to move on in the process we call Life.

I have extensive professional and personal experience in death and dying so feel free to contact me if you need support in this area. Michael Jackson’s death, like the death of a loved one, may trigger feelings of past losses. Support is available so reach out.

Childs Art
A picture my daughter drew of herself at 6 years old, one year after her father’s death.

Cold and Flu Natural Approach

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Colds and Flu Natural Approach

Many of my patients are asking my opinion on flu vaccination and prevention. I would like to present a little more information to balance the media’s hype that tends to provoke fear and anxiety.

In an interview with the Cape Coral Daily Breeze, Dr. Erika Schwartz, medical director of Cinergy Health in Miami reminds us that, “More people died from the side effects of the vaccine [in 1976] than the swine flu. If we don’t pay attention to history, then we are bound to repeat it.” She goes on to say that while each year approximately 36,000 people die from influenza, there have only been 555 deaths in the United States from swine flu. She also emphasizes prevention over vaccination, pointing out that even after getting the shot it is still possible to get sick.

At this point, the swine flu vaccinations are still in the trial stage and their efficacy has not yet been determined. In 1976, the swine flu vaccine actually killed more people than it helped and despite this there are recommendations for even children to be vaccinated.

Vaccinations carry risks and I advise people to research those risks to make an informed decision about whether or not to participate in vaccinations. I will support whatever decision my patients make about vaccinations but feel it is my responsibility to provide information that presents the risks of vaccinations such as flu like symptoms, neurological damage, autoimmune diseases, and possible contamination from metals, chemicals, and other viruses.

References:

CDC downplays estimates on flu deaths, infections
How dangerous is the swine flu?
Flu Vaccine
Should you get the flu shot?
Swine flu ‘debacle’ of 1976 recalled
The last great swine flu epidemic
Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda

Natural Protection

Susceptibility to colds and flu are in direct relationship to the strength of our immune system and internal hygiene. Viruses and bacteria will not thrive or take hold if our internal hygiene is balanced and healthy. For example, diets that are too high in refined carbohydrates, chemicals like pesticides or preservatives, and heavy metals can create too much acidity. Diets too low in enzymes can create environments too alkaline. Stress can weaken our adrenal system impairing our immune anti-inflammatory response.

Each system of the body is intricately connected with the health of the whole organism so when we discuss mechanisms and systems it is very complicated to break them down in isolation. Each of these recommendations has benefits to more than one system in the body but in combination they support that balance and homeostasis that supports health and optimal resistance to infection and disease.

1. Get enough sleep. Your immune system functions much better when you get enough sleep. Most people need about 8 hours per night for optimal health. If your body is tired your immune system cannot mount an adequate immune reaction such as the production of antibodies and numerous immune cells and anti-inflammatory molecules.

2. Exercise regularly. Exercise helps keep your immune system strong. Exercise increases respiration and higher oxygen content in the body deters the proliferation of bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells and boosts the production of macrophages that attack viruses and bacteria as well as increasing circulation to move white blood cells to where they are most needed.

3. Avoid sugar. Even small amounts of sugar can significantly impair your immune function, making you more susceptible to a flu infection. Sugar molecules look similar to vitamin C and compete with the vitamin C needed in macrophage cells that gobble up viruses and bacteria. Think of it this way: when you eat sugar think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl.

4. Drink lots of pure water. Keeping your mucous membranes well-hydrated helps optimize the mucous membranes of the mouth, ears, and nose. This is your first line of defense where immune cells reside to capture and prevent further entry into the body.

5. Wash your hands often.

6. Eat Vegetables. Vegetables contain huge amounts of the array of nutrients the body needs for health. The nutrients to metabolize energy, support detoxification by the liver, and to support a strong adrenal or stress response are loaded in fresh foods. Chicken soup made with fresh vegetables works for a reason!

Each person’s symptoms reflect systems of the body that are usually deficient. Even toxicity is a limitation in the body to maintain optimal balance. Digestion, liver support, adrenal support, and immune support cannot really be separated as their influence on one another is so complex and interrelated. Your best protection comes as we treat the body as a whole and work together to bring the body into optimal balance and health.

Naturopathic Treatments for Cold and Flu Symptoms

The best treatment for colds and flu is prevention! Here are some tips to help you stay healthy this winter:

Eat your vegetables and fruits strengthen your immune system.
Avoid sugar which weakens the immune system.
Avoid dairy which causes an overproduction of mucous and may aggravate the immune system.
Don’t over heat your home as dry air dries out mucous membranes. (Mucous membranes are loaded with enzymes, immune cells, and lymph glands designed to catch viruses/bacteria and are our first line of defense against infection!)
Keep rooms a moderate temperature and consider using a humidifier to keep air moist.
A HEPA filter in bedrooms is a great way to minimize dust and toxins, thereby reducing the burden to your immune system.
Wash hands frequently and avoid putting fingers in mouth, eyes, nose, and ears.
Drink plenty of fluids, get enough rest, and exercise to balance stress.

If you do happen to catch a cold or come down with the flu, consider the use of vitamins, herbs, and homeopathics. They are best used at the onset and can help lessen their severity and prevent secondary infections. Unlike antibiotics, which are not effective against viruses and work by preventing the replication of bacteria through one or two mechanisms, herbal products work by many mechanisms. For example, they may directly kill bacteria, stimulate white blood cells, stimulate circulation, or prove vitamins and minerals that nourish glands involved in the anti-inflammatory response. The more ways an herbal product works, the less likely resistance can develop! Homeopathics work as an energetic catalyst to stimulate the body to overcome symptoms. They can be extremely effective and have no side effects and are usually taken as small pellets under the tongue.

I often recommend the herbal/vitamin combinations Bio Vegetarian and Super Bio Vegetarian from Priority One in big doses the first day or two to beat a cold. A homeopathic remedy I recommended for the flu is Oscillococcinum which can be used safely alone or with other medications. Homeopathics are very safe for children.

Call at the first sign of a cold or flu or for a recommendation specific to you about what products to keep on hand.

Stay well and enjoy the season!

Please contact me if you would like to discuss products to have on hand to enhance immunity and for cold and flu prevention including Standard Process whole food supplements, homeopathic remedies and herbal medicines. I also love to hear about your progress so feel free to email me if you run out of product or if you need a change in your treatment plan. Often such changes can be made without an office visit. Your feedback is needed to keep you in good health and on a progressive program. We are changing health care one person at a time as we take responsibility for educating ourselves about good health. Education empowers us to make the right choices. It’s a process so stay open, keep learning, and congratulations on the changes you’ve already made!

Estrogen Dominance

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Estrogen Dominance

This topic comes up with nearly every woman I see. The very common symptoms for women that we attribute to hormones are most often a result of imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen promotes growth of tissue (i.e. the uterine lining in the first half of our cycle). But most women know breast tissue also can increase in size, we can gain weight, tissue can swell a bit, and mood can be affected. Progesterone helps to moderate these effects of estrogen, including the growth effects.

Here are some symptoms of estrogen not balanced well by progesterone:

PMS Breast tenderness
Excessive menstrual bleeding and cramps
Early onset of menstruation
Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips, and thighs
Hot flashes
Perimenopause sleep disturbance
Depression and anxiety
Fibrocystic breasts
Hair Loss
Irregular menstrual periods
Water retention, bloating
Low or absent libido
Infertility
Insomnia
Polycystic ovaries
Uterine cancer
Uterine fibroids
Cervical dysplasia
Breast cancer

Women make estrogen in their ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat cells. During the first two weeks of our cycle, estrogen is the hormone secreted to promote the growth of the uterine lining for implantation. After ovulation, the ovulating egg produces progesterone to maintain the lining and vascular system. If an egg is implanted, progesterone continues to be increased for this uterine sac to maintain the growth of an embryo. If the ovulated egg does not become fertilized, then the progesterone production falls off and the uterine lining is not maintained and it sluffs off with our monthly bleeding.

Women become out of balance with their total estrogen/progesterone hormones for several reasons. One reason is that we are being exposed to a huge number of chemicals that mimic estrogen in our body. These chemicals actually sit down on estrogen receptors and mimic the effects of estrogen.

These chemicals come from many places including:

Birth control pills
Hormone replacement drugs
Additives in lotions, shampoos, make up, and deodorants
Plastics and cookware
Growth hormones found in factory-farmed animal products beef, chicken, and fish
Pesticides and herbicides on foods and in the environment
DDT
PCBs – polychlorinated biphenyls
Foaming agents in soaps and detergents

Sometimes, women produce too little progesterone when under stress because the precursor hormone to make progesterone gets used to make the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands to help us fight or flee. It raises blood sugar, keeps us mentally alert, and heightens our immune system among other responses. Many of us under pressure at work or home or due to psycho/emotional stress maintain high cortisol and, over time, this depletes the resources to make adequate progesterone thus promoting the estrogen dominance or imbalance with progesterone.

Peri menopause is a time when we start missing some ovulations. Remember it is the ovulating egg making progesterone so a few missed cycles and our total load starts to be reduced. This often initiates the start of menopause symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and anxiety or moodiness. The balance may have been leaning in that direction from chemical exposures or stress but with the missed ovualtions the imbalance is exacerbated and new symptoms or exaggerated symptoms develop.

The last thing I’d like to address are the functions of the liver and how they relate to estrogen dominance. The liver is the organ responsible for degrading toxins and our hormones. The liver is working hard for most people because of diets high in chemicals, environmental exposure, topical exposures, poor diet, and so on. The liver is sometimes at or past its capacity to do its job or under functioning because it lacks the nutrients from a healthy diet to work properly. Toxins that cannot be completely processed end up being stored in fat cells, including toxic estrogen. Estrogen that is only partially degraded and stored in fat cells can be recycled and has a higher growth promoting potential than regular estrogen. This creates a combined effect of more fat cells as a result of storing toxins that can potentially make even more estrogen.

What can we do?! Our past detox groups reviewed this information repeatedly to emphasize the benefit of improving diet and liver function to help remove toxins including toxic or excessive estrogen. Amazingly, almost all women see improvement in estrogen dominance symptoms – decreased hot flashes, improved sleep, lighter periods, easier premenstrual week, and they feel more calm and at ease.

Basic Recommendations to improve estrogen dominance:

Stop eating processed foods with chemicals.
Eat more vegetables and fruits, along with hormone/antibiotic free protein.
Eat at least one serving cruciferous vegetable a day. A specific sulfur chemical in these vegetables enhances the livers capability of degrading estrogen.
Reduce your exposure to xenoestrogen. A good list can be found here.
Join the next detoxification group in the new year.
Find support and learn ways to decrease your stress.

Dr. Mikel has a host of whole food products that enhance these recommendations and, depending on your symptoms can prescribe the right ones for you. SP Green Food, for example, is a combination of Brussel sprouts, kale, and alfalfa sprouts that many women love! This product has the vegetables that help the liver detox estrogen so they lose weight, have lighter periods, diminished hot flashes, and sleep better. Determining what is a appropriate for you and the cause of your imbalance will lead to the correct treatment. Salivary hormone testing is sometimes done and very useful in some cases. In my experience, 9 out of 10 salivary tests show some degree of estrogen dominance. Hormone supplementation is seldom needed for estrogen dominance if some of these other recommendations are maintained. Adding hormones for estrogen dominance may suppress symptoms by artificially balancing estrogen/progesterone but they can elevate both to alarming levels which increases the load of work on the liver which is why they often lead to weight gain from storing the by-products away in new fat cells.

There is hope and many women are finding safe and effective treatment for their complaints. I give this talk over and over and I have found that this information needs to be heard a few times in order to “get it.” Successfully using these suggestions to improve symptoms and overall health is really the best way to learn.

Resources

http://goodbyepms.com/fail.htm

http://www.sensiblehealth.com/Journey-04.xhtml

Estrogen dominance and men: http://www.greendivamom.com/2009/04/19/how-men-can-avoid-estrogen-dominance/

Are Endocrine Disruptors making us fat & making our children sexual mutants?

Spirituality and Medicine

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Spirituality and Medicine

The belief and trust in the healing power of nature implies a belief in some higher power or force we are a part of, working through us in our lives.

This power is found in religion for many people but it is also found in nature, in relationships of love, and in our passions and dreams.

As one becomes aware of this power there is a realization that it is always bringing us toward wholeness. Sometimes this is through increased physical health or sometimes through emotional growth.

An ability to recognize, experience, and express thoughts and feelings is important because it is the limitations in our thoughts that create the emotions that often contribute to our illnesses. Emotions create an energy that needs release. When not attended to, it may become internalized within the body.

Our symptoms may sometimes be metaphors for what wants attention emotionally or spiritually. Holistic medicine implies attention to underlying cause.

An infection may represent an internal conflict or we may be vulnerable to infection because of the energy depletion holding the conflict within.

Allergies may represent an internal constriction in response to the world indicating some fear or learned lack of trust.

Digestive symptoms may indicate some aspects of a relationship that are difficult to “swallow“ and the feelings may be difficult to let go of.

Back pain may represent how we are holding up under the emotional pressures of life.

There is always a story to be revealed when one explores the metaphors. Realizing that they have something to tell us about our emotional and spiritual life will begin the healing process that entails balance. By the very awareness and attention to their connection, we attain more balance between our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives. If we can identify and express our feelings, we have an opportunity to then look at the underlying belief they represent – from not trusting someone you love and feeling as though you aren’t good enough to have success to feeling that you are loved unconditionally and the universe provides what you need.

Illness does not have to be something we fight. “He battled courageously with cancer,” for example, implies there is a force in nature that is against us. Everything in life, even illness and death can turn into a blessing if we turn with faith and guidance to realize its gift. Grace is the healing that occurs when there is willingness to surrender to our emotion, explore what it is we really believe, and to then find acceptance or the courage to make corrections and live from a perspective that is more congruent with our faith, even our desire to have faith!

Physician means literally “friend of the soul.” A good doctor may help facilitate not only physical well-being but perhaps be a companion on a journey that brings a person into those qualities and balance needed to experience love for oneself and others.

I continue to be dedicated to this intention of being a good physician through 2010! May we all find our inner healer and let them take us to health, wholeness, happiness, and peace!

Healthy Digestion

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Healthy Digestion

To a Naturopath, healthy digestion is the cornerstone to health. “You are what you eat” and “You are what you don’t eliminate.” Digestion, absorption, and elimination are what makes up our body, what fuels our metabolism, metabolic processes, and what creates our immune system.

Optimal digestion depends on adequate enzyme production in the stomach and small intestines, a healthy mucosal cell lining in the G.I. tract including adequate immune cell protection, proper assimilation, and elimination.

When digestion is inadequate it robs the body of vital nutrient building blocks for all vital processes. Proteins are needed to build tissue and are the building block for neurotransmitters, the communication system of the nervous system. All cells have an outer lipid (fat) membrane which is the control panel for all metabolic processes. Fat also provides the myelin surrounding nerve cells and is responsible for nerve conduction. All hormones begin with a fat molecule in the form of cholesterol. How hormones function and the efficiency as to how they are broken down is dependent on the amount and quality of fat in the diet and how well it is absorbed. Carbohydrates are broken down to glucose and provide energy.

What is not broken down and absorbed must be eliminated from the G.I. tract and what is not eliminated or absorbed efficiently becomes a source of toxic waste for the body to deal with. Food may sit in the digestive tract too long when enzyme production is inadequate, absorption is inadequate, and transit time is too slow. As a result the rotting food gradually becomes a source of irritation to the cells lining the digestive system. Inflammation can begin weakening the intestinal lining that normally maintains a barrier to keep large molecules from entering the blood stream. The term that has been used to describe this is “leaky gut syndrome.” As large food molecules gradually make their way into the blood stream it becomes a stress on the immune system to clean them up and break them down. Food proteins can be recognized as foreign and stimulate the production of antibodies. An overproduction of antibodies has been hypothesized as a possible contributor to food allergies and autoimmune diseases. Antibodies produced from abnormal proteins of digestion in some way get confused and begin to set up an attack on various tissues of the body. Another stress these abnormally large molecules create is to the liver. The liver is the organ of detoxification and anything in the blood that is not supposed to be there is broken down and eliminated through complex chemical reactions that require a large source of nutrients and energy. As the liver already has a big job protecting us from toxic exposure in the air, water, and foods we eat, undigested food proteins become a burden that often over-saturates its capacity. Toxins that cannot be handled end up stored in fat cells. Weight gain is often not always the result of eating the wrong food or even too much food but of an ineffective digestive system.

Poor digestive function and overwhelmed liver function cause a cascade of problems and stress to other organ systems and functions in the body such as stress to the adrenal and thyroid glands which regulate metabolism, stress hormones, and blood sugar. An overactive immune system and excess proteins in the blood stream can create acidity which contributes to inflammation everywhere, there again contributing to problems like arthritis and heart disease.

Conditions that indicate the digestive system is impaired include heartburn or reflux, ulcers, irritable bowel, constipation/diarrhea but also can be associated with other problems like inflammatory joint disease and allergies. Working on improving digestion, healing and strengthening the mucosal cells lining the digestive tract, and eating a diet that promotes good digestion and metabolism are some of treatment goals for almost any digestive complaint or condition. Optimizing digestive function and health will also prevent the chronic progression of many other disease processes.

Digestive enzymes are a good place to begin improving digestive function and health. The stomach uses primarily hydrochloric acid to begin the breakdown of primarily protein. Making an acid in the body that tightly regulates pH requires a huge amount of energy and bimolecular resources. People who are depleted, consistently eat a poor diet, and have other health stresses are often deficient in HCL. Inadequate HCL will cause food to sit in the stomach too long where it ferments and causes irritation to the stomach lining. This is one of the most common reasons for heartburn. The small intestines use alkaline enzymes from the pancreas which complete the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. They are also natural anti-inflammatory support for the body. Lower abdominal bloating, cramping, and mild nausea are often symptoms of insufficient pancreatic enzymes.

Dr. Mikel’s experience and education help her formulate individualized treatment approaches, including diet assessment and education for your specific symptoms and underlying cause. Digestive health can be a cornerstone to your future health and ability to heal.

Hay Fever Natural Remedies

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Hay Fever Natural Remedies

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, means that your immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances in the air, resulting in symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, headache, watery eyes, sore throat, and an itchy nose. Hay fever is an indication that the immune system is out of balance. Hyper-reactive, in fact. (If needed, review the previous newsletter on digestion because poor digestive health is often the initial culprit.) Poorly digested food proteins eaten frequently can heighten the immune antibody and histamine reactions thereby causing overreaction to environmental triggers like pollens and grasses. The milk protein, casein, seems to be the biggest trigger for immune cells to over produce inflammation in the mucous membranes lining our nasal, sinus, and lung passages. This is exactly where environmental proteins from the air come in contact with the body thus promoting more reaction by hyper-sensitized immune cells. One of the goals with a natural approach to allergy treatment is to improve your threshold of sensitivity by doing what you can to calm the immune system down. Since it is really a multi-factorial contribution to create the problem, address the things you can control so you have a better tolerance to those you can’t.

Cut out cow dairy products from your diet especially milk, cheese, and ice cream. Organic butter does not contain the casein protein. Alternatives include goat milk, sheep and goat cheese, and almond or rice milk. Avoid soy. Raw milk and raw milk cheese are also often better tolerated but may be more difficult to find and digestive health and immunity should be strong when using raw milk products.

Reduce exposure to the allergens that cause your hay fever:

Pollens – install or change air filters, close windows, and keep windows closed while driving.
Pet dander – avoid animals, do not pet animals and, if needed, shower after being exposed to an animal.
Dust – dust frequently, avoid very dusty places, clean air filters or add an air HEPA filter to your bedroom or workspace.

Reducing the load of exposures will help your threshold be higher when outdoors.

Avoid other foods that can stimulate over production of mucous such as eggs, white flour products, sugar, and processed foods with additives and chemicals. Enjoy more vegetables to provide the body with nutrients to fuel the organs that clean the blood of pollutants and chemicals.

Limit sugar which weakens the immune system and leads to susceptibility to secondary sinus and bronchial/lung infections. Over growth of yeast or Candida is also promoted by sugar and is very common in people with chronic allergies.

Since hay fever is caused by allergens breathed into the nose, rinsing those allergens out of your nose a few times a day can again help to decrease the load of exposure to the immune system. A Neti pot or some other type of irrigation (even a teaspoon can be used) to pour saline water though the nasal passages. The rinse helps reduce mucous that traps the pollutants as well as provides some antibacterial protection. ¼ teaspoon of sea salt in 4 oz of warm water and a pinch of baking soda will make a good douche.

Now that you have decreased irritants as much as possible consider other supports:

Consider eating 1 tsp of local raw honey per day as it may ease hay fever symptoms, clear sinuses, and help control puffy itchy eyes. Experts believe that honey works because it contains traces of pollen which encourages the body to build up a natural immunity.

Quercetin, bromelain, vitamin C and nettles work as natural antihistamine support without the side effects of drowsiness. They help stabilize cells so they are less reactive to the histamine release, eat up some of the fluid production, and help balance immune reaction. These are commonly found together in allergy products.

Pancreatic enzymes can be used between meals to help resolve products of inflammation useful for allergy mucous production as well as swelling from injury. Homeopathics are also useful for allergies working to stimulate the body’s ability to find balance and reduce reactivity to allergens.

There is a specific homeopathic to help desensitize against Pacific Northwest common grasses and pollens. Liquid drops taken daily have been quite successful in reducing allergy symptoms. Ask about Allergena Zone 8.

There are several helpful remedies available. Other homeopathics to consider are:

Arsenicum. Take the potency 6c if there is constant sneezing, anxious, inflammation eyes.
Euphrasia. Potency 6c is helpful for itchy eyes with hay fever
Sabadilla. Potency 6c reduces sore throat with hay fever
Ferrum phos. Potency 30c taken first sign of inflammation, slow or stop episode.
Nat Mur. Potency 30c Profuse watery or white runny nose, repeated sneezing.
Nux Vomica. Potency 30c Irritable, bad reaction to anti histamines, better with nap.
Sulphur. Potency 30c Thick discharge accompanied by rash or itching of the body.

Diet cannot be overstressed: Vegetables, protein and fruit in that order are all very supportive and should be the focus during allergy season for quick response to natural supports and to improve digestive health and immune balance.

I will help find the best remedy for you!

Addressing the underlying cause as well as symptom relief is the best approach for improving your tolerance for allergenic irritants as well as for enjoying these beautiful Spring and Summer days ahead!

Excerpts from a talk I heard by Reverend Gloria Burges:

She asked us to consider what is our personal legacy or myth. She said we all have one whether we think about it or not. Our personal myth is the commitment we make with our future and life yet unlived. She says we stand on the backs of our parents and their legacy . . . our past. What stories are to be let go of and what story do we dream of stepping into?

She says one of the most important tasks on our life path is to listen to God’s calling to us . . . and to make a commitment. Not for the faint of heart, commitment requires vision, faith, and courage. It demands that we put our feet where our heart is.
Dream out loud, change the family story and create a shining legacy for our children and the children’s children for generations to come!

http://www.gloriaburgess.com/index.html

Fresh Salad Rolls

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel
Fresh Salad Rolls
Ingredients
  • 1 (8 ounce) package rice sticks
  • 8 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp, cut in half lengthwise
  • 8 rice wrappers (6.5 inch diameter)
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce
  • water as needed
Directions
1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Remove from heat. Place rice sticks in boiling water, remove from heat, and let soak 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
2. Fill a large bowl with hot water. Dip one rice wrapper in the hot water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat, and place desired amounts of noodles, shrimp, carrot, lettuce and basil in the center. Roll the edges of the wrapper slightly inward. Beginning at the bottom edge of wrapper, tightly wrap the ingredients. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Serve the spring rolls with dipping sauce.

Mark’s Chix Curry

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Mark’s Chix Curry
(varied the veggies)

2 lbs boneless hormone free chicken
2 heaping teaspoons curry powder
3 teaspoons agave syrup
½ tsp pepper flakes
1 tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp pepper
1 can organic coconut milk
1 box organic chicken broth
2 large yellow sweet potatoes or yams
½ small bag baby carrots
1 head large cauliflower
Optional zucchini or yellow squash
½ cup raisins added to taste as garnish

In large pot, put chicken, coconut milk and spices. Cover with chicken broth and bring to a boil. Slice all veggies about 1 inch thick. Add vegetables. Add more water to cover. Turn down, cover and simmer till chicken done and vegetables tender about an hour. Add raisins as garnish.

Blood Pressure

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Recommendations that can help reduce your blood pressure:

Eliminate or limit grains and sugars from your diet. This will lower insulin levels and normalize blood pressure for most people.

Limit caffeine

Get a daily dose of sunshine to optimize your vitamin D. A deficiency increases parathyroid hormone production which increases blood pressure. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to insulin resistance, which can raise your blood pressure.

Get a good night’s sleep

Get plenty of exercise

Sugar

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Oh so good Sugar!

Most people know that sugar is not good for your health, but few control the intake of it. Worse yet, it is given to children in greater and greater quantities. Every month you (yes you) eat 5 pounds of sugar and most of it doesn’t come from the sugar bowl. More than a quarter of all drinks consumed in the U.S. are soda. More than 15 billion gallons were sold in 2000 and the number is rising every year. That means every man, woman, and child consumes at least one 12-ounce can every single day. Obviously not everyone consumes sodas so many people are drinking more than their share! In one study 56% of 8 year olds consume sodas daily and at least 30% of teenage boys drink greater than 3 cans a day. Sugar and corn syrup just from soft drinks now supply more than 10% of our total calories.
Refined sugar was first produced in India around 500BC, with the introduction to Europe from the Crusaders in 1100AD. Venice, at the height of its financial power, was the chief sugar-distributing center of Europe. Modern industrialization created processed foods; where sugar was added to almost everything from ketchup to crackers.
We are a culture that has replaced real foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, meats) with carbohydrates that are refined and treated by the body no different than eating a cookie. Fat, fiber, and protein slow the rate carbohydrates enter the blood stream. This prevents a sudden rise in insulin levels, with a sudden drop thereafter. Refined carbohydrates such as cereals, pasta, potatoes, white rice, breads and other refined grains contain virtually no nutrients. The body breaks itself down to recruit the nutrients to turn those empty calories into energy. It is no wonder why we have so many diseases!
Sugar harms the body in many ways: it suppresses the immune system, causes a rapid rise in adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children. It contributes to gallstones, appendicitis, and suppresses calcium absorption in bones (in fact, soda is now considered the number one contributor to osteoporosis). It causes problems with digestion, increases hormonal imbalance, fuels cancer cells, contributes to PMS, diabetes, tooth decay, and on and on.
All of this is accentuated if your body does not handle blood sugar well. Blood sugar is managed primarily by the liver, adrenals, and pancreas. A weakness in one of those glands results in a weakness in how the body responds to sugar.
Overwhelmingly, the main culprits behind weight gain are grains and sugars. High-carbohydrate foods like bread, grains, cereal, potatoes, fruit, and sugar are converted to glucose (sugar) in the body. When your body can’t burn off this sugar, it accumulates in the blood, causing your blood sugar level to rise. In response to this, insulin is released to break down the sugar and store it.
Your body will increase its output of insulin to compensate for the higher blood sugar levels. Over time this causes progressively increasing levels of insulin and resistance to the effects of insulin. If the body cannot use the insulin the glucose is sent back to the liver and converted to fat as high triglycerides.
Insulin resistance is one of the fundamental mechanisms behind aging and all of its related diseases, including obesity.
Dr. Mikel can help you start down the path to repair the damage done from a lifetime of sugar/processed food overuse which can assist in achieving healthy weight and optimal health.

GMO

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel
TIME TO PAY ATTENTION!!

Last month we talked about Organic labeling so I thought we would continue this month talking about Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s. You may be surprised to learn that you have a 75 percent chance of picking a food with genetically modified (GM) ingredients when you’re at the supermarket. This is because at least seven out of every 10 food items have been genetically modified.

In fact, the United States leads the world in GM crop acreage with 123 million acres in all (that’s close to one-third of the agricultural land in the United States planted with gene-altered crops).

And the blight of genetically engineered crops across the globe continues to grow. Worldwide, there are at least 222 million acres planted with GM crops, and the number keeps rising.
Although the major food giants are carrying on with their claim that GM foods are no different from conventionally grown varieties, the research begs to differ.
Here is just a sampling of the unsavory findings associated with GM foods:

  • GM peas caused damage in mice
  • GM potatoes may cause cancer in rats
  • Bacteria in your gut can take up DNA from GM food
  • They may be spurring the creation of weed-killer-resistant superweeds

Aside from the potential risks to your health, genetic modification known as “terminator technology” is now being used to create, you guessed it, seeds that “self-destruct.” In other words, the seeds (and the forthcoming crops) are sterile, which means farmers must buy them again each year (as opposed to using the seeds from their harvest to replant the following year, which is the traditional way).
This, of course, means bigger profits for the food companies that are patenting GM seeds, and more money shelled out from farmers. Worse still, this practice could actually threaten the entire food supply because the sterile seeds can spread to nearby fields.
There is an incredibly important documentary on this topic that I urge you to watch yourself and then pass on to ALL of your friends and family. This should be required viewing for everyone that is living in the 21st century. It will open your eyes to the dangers of GM foods and do it in a way that is very easy to learn. It’s called “The Future of Food”. This documentary will help you understand the very real threat that ALL future generations face as a result of genetic engineering, check it out here: http://www.thefutureoffood.com/.
Also, there is a new tool to assist you when shopping for food. It’s called The True Food Shopping Guide. Created by The Center for Food Safety. This shopping guide is an excellent start, as you can print it out and take it with you to the store so you can avoid GM foods like the plague. There is even a free app that you can download to your smart phone to use while you are at the store, check it out here: http://truefoodnow.org/2010/07/15/shoppersguideapp/.

Along with using The True Food Shopping Guide, you can also follow these tips to avoid GM ingredients:

  • Examine produce stickers on the fruits and vegetables you buy. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine, and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight.
  • Buy organic produce as often as you can. By definition, food that is certified organic must be free from all GM organisms.
  • Stay away from processed foods. Most of these contain corn and soy products, and most corn and soy are genetically modified.

The major danger of genetically engineered foods may be related to the increased use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weed killer Glyphosate, which is the most common weed killer in the US and just happens to be more toxic than DDT. Roundup, can accumulate and persist in the soil for years, where it kills off beneficial microbes and stimulates virulence of pathogens (not good).
Since organically-farmed fields are not doused with glyphosate, organic fields still contain beneficial soil bacteria that actually hinder pathogens in and on the food from multiplying out of control. This may be yet another reason why organic foods are less prone to be contaminated with disease-causing pathogens than conventionally-grown foods
When applied to crops, glyphosate becomes systemic throughout the plant, so it cannot be washed off. And once you eat this crop, the glyphosate ends up in your gut where it can decimate your beneficial bacteria. This can wreak havoc with your health as 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut and is dependent on a healthy ratio of good and bad bacteria
Glyphosate is a strong chelator, meaning it immobilizes critical micronutrients, rendering them unavailable to the plant. As a result, the nutritional efficiency of genetically engineered (GM) plants is profoundly compromised. Micronutrients such as iron, manganese and zinc can be reduced by as much as 80-90 percent in GM plants
As you can see there is much to be concerned about in regard to GMO foods. The truth is we really do not know what the end result will be. We have never done this in the history of mankind. You, I, and our kids are the guinea pigs in this great experiment. It reminds me of a comercial from many years past that said: “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature”.

Sources and further reading:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/31/monsanto-worst-company-of-2011.aspx?e_cid=20120131_DNL_art_1
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01
/15/dr-don-huber-interview-part-2.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/13/gmo-crops-destroying-food-system.aspx

Organic Foods

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace in the use of the word “organic”. To be classified as organic there are many steps a producer must go through.

Making sense of organic labeling can be difficult, and many consumers do not understand the significance of the USDA Organic label. Since October 21, 2002, the following guidelines were established by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) to assure consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.

 

Requirements involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:

 

  • avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs not on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances(e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc.), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of bio solids;
  • use of farmland that has been free from prohibited synthetic chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);
  • keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);
  • maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;
  • undergoing periodic on-site inspections.

While there are many different certification organizations, USDA Organic is considered the gold standard.

Single-Ingredient Foods
On foods like fruits and vegetables, look for a small sticker version of the USDA Organic label or check the signage in your produce section for this seal.

The word “organic” and the seal may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese, and other single-ingredient foods.

Multi-Ingredient Foods
Foods such as beverages, snacks, and other processed foods use the following classification system to indicate their use of organic ingredients.

100% Organic—Foods bearing this label are made with 100% organic ingredients* and may display the USDA Organic seal.

Organic—These products contain at least 95–99% organic ingredients (by weight). The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the NOP. These products may display the USDA Organic seal.

Made With Organic Ingredients—Food packaging that reads “Made With Organic Ingredients” must contain 70–94% organic ingredients. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal; instead, they may list up to three ingredients on the front of the packaging.

Other—Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may only list organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal.

Keep in mind that even if a producer is certified organic, the use of the USDA Organic label is voluntary. At the same time, not everyone goes through the rigorous process of becoming certified, especially smaller farming operations. When shopping at a farmers’ market, for example, don’t hesitate to ask the vendors how your food was grown.

Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5 percent of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves 99.5 percent of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to noxious agricultural chemicals.

Our bodies are the environment so supporting organic agriculture doesn’t just benefit your family, it helps all families live less toxic-ally.

11 years ago genetically modified foods were not part of our food supply. Today 30% of our cropland is planted in GMO’s.
USDA Organic is the only de facto seal of reassurance against these and other modern, lab-produced additions to our food supply.

In addition, buying organic supports small local family run farms.

The quality of food we eat repairs and rebuilds our bodies every day. You and your families are worth the cost. Pay now or pay later…. “And what’s less expensive organic food or chemotherapy?” Ha! Remember even adding 30-50% organic over months and years reduces your exposure to chemicals 30-50% which means a huge relief to your liver and other organs in there ability to maintain health and vitality!

Juicing

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Juicing

Juicing is a fun and delicious way to add nutrients from fresh vegetables and fruits in a way that is easy to digest and absorb. The dense nutrients are available then to repair, rebuild and promote the detoxification’s system of the body. The benefits of fresh juice is that most of the enzymes and nutrients are intact able to be used for the cleansing and regenerating processes. Almost all store bought juice is pasteurized which destroys these beneficial properties. Even fresh juice stored open or for too long will begin to lose nutrient potential through the oxidation process with oxygen. It is best to drink immediately and perhaps mix with a portion of purified water.

Juicing fruits is a fun way to start but like we emphasize in the detox groups smoothies add some greens to balance the sugar! All fruits except citrus and melons are good combinations. Add several along with acceptable vegetables, mixed green lettuce, and celery.

Vegetable juicing is more impacting for detoxification and regeneration. Small amounts of several vegetables including kale, spinach, and beets for detox impact are wonderful. A little apple and carrot will sweeten and keep you interested!

Four to eight ounces a day is a nice addition to your diet. It is best to do juices alone, that is in between meals for optimal digestion and absorption of the nutrients that will enhance your body’s healing power. Fruits with protein can cause mal-digestion. Attention to those fruit and vegetable combinations will also optimize digestive power and utilization.

Juicers can sometimes be expensive but often can be found used or on sale. Clean up can be an excuse to not juice often but the health benefits are the pay off! Remember taking time to clean and prepare fresh food is a nice way to reconnect with Nature! She is so willing to heal us if we get back to the foods put here to nourish us!

http://www.bastis.org/juicing.htm

http://juicing.mercola.com/sites/juicing/juicing.aspx

http://www.juicingbook.com/juicing_questions_and_answers/juicing_combinations

Radiation Protection

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Radiation Protection

With the crisis in Japan and threat of radiation I have been asked by patients what they can do. I will share a brief summary of what I researched and hope that it will help you feel proactive about what you can do if that should become a real threat. There are many natural sources of radiation. The sun is the most common and the higher the altitude the greater the exposure. Many of us are also exposed daily to radiation from television, cell phones, computer monitors, microwaves, and saltellites. The potential threat of exposure from the nuclear reactor fall out at this time is of concern to many but there should also be concern when exposed to radiation from x-ray, mammograms, CT scans, airport security scanners etc. We should be advocates for alternative diagnostic procedures when there is a safer choice as it is the accumulative effects that have the potential to cause cell DNA damage.

Radiation does damage by the radioactive elements of strontium and iodine as well as free radicals. The radioactive elements have enough energy to remove electrons from the molecules that make up our tissue. The breakdown of these chemical bonds damages the cells and creates more free radicals that also do potential damage by stealing electrons. The nucleus and DNA of the cells are vulnerable to this damage. When the nucleus of a cell is damaged the potential for cancer is greater. Cells in the body that are in the process of dividing, where the chromosomal structure are exposed, are more susceptible. Cells of the body in the process of dividing more quickly are the blood, lymph, hair, and gastro intestinal cells. Breast, skin and lung tissue are also especially vulnerable.

The body has an innate repair capability and will repair broken chemical bonds as quickly as possible. Anti oxidants in our diet are empahsized as they offer chemicals that will stabalize cells as well as offer up electrons for the free radicals to bond with, leaving the cells unharmed. There are many natural ways to protect yourself to daily exposures of radiation as well as a catastrophic event. Foundations of health always begin with diet. Our body is what we eat and the repair mechanisms are enhanced by a diet rich in nutrients including anti oxidants. Vegetables and fruits of many varieties will offer some of the greatest protection.

Radiation is more easily absorbed with mineral deficiency. The body will recruit the radioactive elements like a sponge where minerals are needed. So adequate minerals in the body will keep the cells more stable and less likely to attract the radioactive elements. Normally iodine is concentrated in the thyroid gland as thyroid hormone is a molecule with significant amounts of iodone. If there is a deficiency of iodine that area of the body is more susceptible to absorbing radioactive isotopes especially strontium, with resulting damage to the tissue. Caution should be used if introducing iodine too quickly. If there has been an underlying deficiency the added iodine may quickly replace other elements that have been substituted causing a detoxification reaction. Symptoms such as headaches, nausea or neurological consequences may result. There is also the possibilty of allergic reactions to iodine. 150 mcg of iodine is the daily FDA recommendation. This is quite a small amount, just over one tenth of a mg. However, many people are deficient in iodine in our country. For the past few years I have personally used idodized sea salt to increase idodine intake along with gradually introducing supplemenal sources. Food sources of iodine are generally safe and allow the body to uptake the amount needed without detrimental effects. Food sources of iodine include sea vegetables like algae and kelp, eggs, strawberries, fish and seafoods. Again, use caution introducing iodine too quickly as a supplement, this should be done with medical supervision. I have available a quick skin test to assess for deficiency. Ask if interested in this test.

Again adequate minerals in general are very protective. Mineral supplements may be an option but a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains (expept wheat) are very good sources of minerals. Avoid refined foods and sugar because they deplete the mineral reserves by offering very little nutritional value. They actually rob the body of the nutrients it needs to turn the calories they provide into energy.
A diet as close to natural foods as possible will provide what the body needs to repair and the anti oxidants it needs to protect. Avoid large amounts of animal proteins, dairy products, refined foods and foods with chemical additives to decrease further depletion. You are thereby supporting the body’s regenerating potential. Standard Process has a great product called Min Tran with a good dose of organic minerals as well as sodium alginate from kelp and alfalfa These are natural chelators for radioactive isotopes. It has 200 mcg of iodine from kelp in four tablets. http://www.standardprocess.com/display/displayFile.aspx?docid=129&filename=/Public/Lit/TabSheets/mintran5590.pdf

Baths with added Epsom salt and / or baking soda have the ability to pull out some toxic radioactive elements. 1/2 to 1 cup of each in a bath is an easy protective measure, even after a needed x-ray or airplane flight. We often recommend these baths in the Detoxification program as adjunts to improve elimination of toxicity from the body.

Foods with sulfur like cruciferous vegetables have the potential to protect against the free radicals produced by ionizing radiation. Patients who have done my detoxification group have all learned to love roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower. Roasting the vegetables is a great way to sweeten that bitter sulfur taste but still get those power foods for the liver that enhance protection from toxicity. Standard Process products like SP Green Food and Cruciferous Complete offer the vegetables as a capsule which is an easy way to get them in periodically for more support.

Foods rich in chlorophyl like Chlorella, alfalfa, dark leafy greens, celery, parsley and cilantro can also help neutralize radiation toxicity. Again the Standard process SP Green Food offers great sources of chlorophyl. http://www.standardprocess.com/display/displayFile.aspx?docid=168&filename=/Public/Lit/TabSheets/spgreenfoodT4650.pdf

Bentonite clay taken internally or added to a bath has the potential to absorb the radioactive ions through the colon or from the skin. Standard process product Gastrex has the bentonite clay as well as protective foods to support healthy gut lining mucosal cells. Cholacol II is useful for someone without a gall bladder that provide bile salts as well as the bentonite clay to absorb gut toxicity. ttp://www.standardprocess.com/display/displayFile.aspx?docid=192&filename=/Public/Lit/TabSheets/gastrex4600.pdf

Miso soup contains many ingredients that combat the effects of radiation, such as whole rice, barley, soybeans, sea salt, seaweed, onions and kojikin fungus. A 1990 Hiroshima University study concluded that people who ate miso soup regularly may have been up to five times more resistant to radiation poisoning than people who did not.

Remember the toxicity from radiation is occurring every day. Cell phone radiation is now being exposed as a potential cause of increase in brain tumors. We can be educated to decrease exposure where possible when easy to do so. It is a threshold of exposure with toxicity that begins to do damage. Decreasing exposure increases our tolerance to unavoidable exposures. Use your speaker when talking on the cell phone, stand away from the microwave, be cautious about over using x- ray, go for a pat down instead of an x-ray scan at the airport. When you are exposed, the better diet you have been eating, the more protection you have. Use the ideas above as added supports. Feel free to ask me about which products you are taking that may be supporting you and consider adding something if you feel vulnerable at this time.

It is a time to use our thoughts for creating positive outcomes. Visualize your body in perfect health and capable of protecting you from harmful effects in the environment. Who knows if using the speaker on your cell phone protects you more than the thought that it does. When you eat healthy foods try saying a prayer before you eat that the foods bless your body with health and vitality. Send positive energy to Japan, the people, the plants, the sea and the sea life. Experiments done by Dr Emoto with water saw that toxicity from polluted lakes improved just by people’s collective thoughts and prayers. They do make a real difference.

We are being brought into experiences that seem out of our control…. our ability to respond rather than react is now being tested. We can live with intention and practice what we have learned intellectually and spiriutually or fall into fear. I encourage you to practice with whatever faith and tools you have to respond from your heart with positive intention for your well being, for mankind and for Mother Earth.

It is my pleasure to support you in body, mind and Spirit!

http://www.jlab.org/div_dept/train/rad_guide/effects.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/334359-foods-that-cleanse-radiation-from-body/
http://www.healingcancernaturally.com//chelating-ionizing-radiation.html

Healthy Blood Sugar

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Healthy Blood Sugar

This article will try to explain how glucose is one of the main sources of energy for all cells including the brain, how it stabilizes energy, how it contributes to healthy weight, how it maintains healthy veins and arteries and why it contributes to healthy mood and vitality.
Every cell in the body needs glucose as an immediate source of energy. Brain cells have severely limited storage capacities, and for this reason, the blood must maintain a fairly constant supply of glucose. For this reason even though the brain represents only 2% of the body weight, it receives 25% of total body glucose utilization.

To utilize carbohydrates for energy, your body converts them to glucose in the liver (or glycogen for storage and use later). Carbohydrates–from sugars, fruits, vegetables or grains–follow a similar route in the process of digestion. Carbohydrates are broken down to mono saccharides (very basic sugar molecules) which are absorbed and carried to the liver. The liver release the glucose into the blood stream as needed.

Glucose is transported into cells via insulin and once inside of the cells, the energy producing reactions begin. The powerhouse of energy production is a result of breakdown of chemical bonds. This energy release helps initiate the many needed chemical reactions for life; protein formation, enzyme production, movement of chemicals across cell membranes to movement of skeletal muscle. ATP is the carrier and regulation-storage unit of energy. It is a molecule stored and generated within each cell. When it is chemically changed to form ADP a huge amount of energy is released. The energy for constructing ATP is food. 2500 calories of food translates into 400 lbs of ATP. There is a huge need for energy in the cells to keep all the functions going from moving muscle, elimination, respiration, and repair.

Complex carbohydrates are whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, brown rice, potatoes, and grains. They are molecules that combine sugars in chains and complex structures and for that reason break down relatively slowly. Because of their slower digestion, these complex carbohydrates are better for the body as the eventual glucose they become is released more gradually and steadily.

Fats and proteins contributes to available energy via ATP production even more slowly through a different process than glucose production called and the energy available is even more dense per calorie.

Simple carbohydrates break down and absorb quickly which turns then out to the blood stream or to the liver very quickly. Processed food including most white flour products. packaged foods like cereal and noodles, cookies, chips, candy, fruits, juices, milk, yogurt, honey and sugar will break down quickly and soon raise blood glucose levels.

Excess glucose happens when taking in more than you need to burn for energy. If this happens too often it eventually contribute to high triglycerides and increase in body fat. Your body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into glucose to be used for energy by your cells. Once the cells have what they need, the excess glucose is sent back to your liver and converted to glycogen. Glycogen can then be stored in your muscles but there is a storage capacity. Once glycogen stores are filled glycogen is sent back to your liver again, where it becomes triglycerides. These triglycerides become stored as fat. Llowering refined carbohydrates in your diet a is the most significant way to lower triglycerides and one of the most effective ways to lose excess weight.
Some of these triglycerides are not stored as fat, but remain in your blood stream, which is where the problem lies for artery and veins. Excess levels of triglycerides thicken your blood, making it sludgy, which increases the possibility of clotting and blockage which could eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found, if your triglycerides are high, you have two to three times the risk of heart disease and stroke – even if you have low cholesterol. [Vol. 86: 943-49] Triglyceride levels over 200 mg/dl are considered high and put you at serious risk. An optimal level is below 150 mg/dl. Many doctors focus too much on cholesterol, and not enough on triglycerides. However if you have high cholesterol AND high triglycerides, your chances of developing heart disease go up exponentially. Both indicators must be looked at together for cardiac risk.
Lowering your intake of refined carbohydrates is the key to improving your triglyceride levels.

Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose in the blood stream to enter cells that need it for energy (ATP). Often a diet that is in excess with simple carbohydrates (processed foods) will develop problems with insulin. If the body has the fuel it needs and glycogen stores are filled then the body will respond by turning down receptivity to insulin. With glucose in the blood stream, storage as glycogen filled it will be rerouted to the liver again converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. People frequently become overweight not from eating too much but from eating too much processed foods. Exercise will increase the demand for energy and will optimize the use of glucose or glycogen. Insulin resistance can be reversed by eating foods that break down more slowly to glucose in the digestive tract (high in fiber and complex starches, proteins and fats) so that the production of glucose is more gradual appropriate to the energy needs of the body.

Finally how does blood sugar affect mood? Refined carbohydrates like white sugar and breakfast cereals, broken down quickly with result of high glucose stimulate a quick boost of serotonin, that’s why after eating sugary donuts and other similar foods you feel pretty good. However the feeling drops and you want more. These high spikes of serotonin confuse the brain and it shuts down some of the receptors to try and restore balance. Serotonin resistance means we can’t use the serotonin we have, something similar to insulin resistance. The more this cycle goes on the more problems with serotonin resulting in mood swings or just generalized low mood and energy. The mood problems are even worse when combined with insulin resistance. In the last 20 year depression and diabetes have both significantly increased .

The human body is amazing in it’s complexity as to how it handles food we take in and getting it to the vast array of physiological processes call life. Most imbalances can be reversed and we see this over and over again as people get education, understanding as to how their food is contributing to their complaints and guidance to change their choices. Just to eat natural whole foods seems like an old prescription but my patients, along with myself, are really convinced when they try it! The body and mind will eventually find harmony. If you have been neglecting your body and mind then this will take time, so don’t think that one good day of eating is going to make a difference it must become a lifetime quest. However, build in success on those days when you do make good choices and pay attention to how you feel.

Better energy, more consistent energy to stay alert, weight loss and improved metabolism, improved mood, motivation, memory and vitality are the motivators to do a little better job each day.

Dreams and Metaphors

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Dreams and Metaphors

For those of you already working with Dr. Mikel you may have had her ask you about your dreams. In this newsletter, I would like to explain a bit about what I have learned and experienced with dream analysis. My master’s degree was focused in Transpersonal Psychology which is reflected loosely in my synopsis. As my experience and education are reflected in this writing it is also subjective in regards to my belief system. So take what is of value for yourself and leave that which in not congruent with your belief system. I do believe there is a universal experience of yearning for wholeness and we are designed to experience and unfold into that perfection. My own dream work has transformed my life and I love to share what has helped me with others!

The famous psychologist Carl Jung’s theory is that the personality is always growing and the Soul in its entirety is made up of the conscious self and the unconscious. The unconscious are those parts of us yet to be developed and integrated into the personality. As a child we come whole but not necessarily conscious. The child’s job is to build through experience an ego from which to interpret and function within the world. Many things shape this. With good parenting or luck or personality we keep our soul’s light intact and are encouraged to open up and discover our nature and gifts. On the other hand intentionally or not often many parts of the child’s souls expression do not get nurtured ane are often discouraged. Defenses are created by the ego to protect us from getting hurt based on those experience from the past.

Jung said in the adult life the opportunity for us to become conscious and claim back or integrate parts of our soul that were messed up, lost or never developed is the path of individuation. Individuation is the integration of the unconscious into the conscious personalitywhich allows one the capacity to know their true nature … that reflection of the Holy Spirit, Christ consciousness, wholeness, unity, etc… Man’s search for that connection to Spirit is found within himself. The work to experience that is dependent on that experience of unconditional self love that one must have to claim the shadow and realize individuation.

Those conscious and unconscious aspects of the self were what Carl Jung called the archetypes. Archetypes are symbols of the human nature common to all cultures and peoples. He saw these symbols represented in myths, stories, art, cultural ceremonies and rituals. These powerful symbols of human nature were what he saw expressed in dreams and became the foundation for his dream interpretation. He found in his analysis process with patients that the dream images contained these universal symbols and that the meanings and challenges they represented were themes of common psychological development. The unconscious contained the shadow elements or archetypal challenges in the person that he or she rejected. When they were emotionally caught up in a conflict or situation it was often because there was a part of their nature that they had yet to understand or integrate. They would project this rejection onto people and situations most often in a negative way or judgment, not realizing that what there was to learn was really something about their own nature they had not yet claimed.

For example it’s easier to give than to receive. Sometimes I give too much! In analysis if one explores where and why that is a sensitive area one might find out that there were only positive messages given to the child for being a “big girl” and helping out. Maybe neediness was an inconvenience, irritated those around her so she was scolded when she expressed needs. Going back to why that interpretation was made allows for some compassion then around being needy. Integration involves awareness of the rejected parts but also some healing from the past to bring that aspect more fully into realization within the conscious personality. The shift happens when one acknowledges where they are needy, how that is healthy and a very human experience; perhaps grieve for missing the care they needed as a child. This shift could allow one to receive care as well as have better boundaries in how they give their time and energy away. There is a feeling of wholeness within both.

My dream analysis has been an amazing process. The dreams repeatedly would bring information to me that seemed to open up more of who I wanted to be in the world. Overcoming fears and insecurities…. the dreams would repeatedly help bring light to some misperception from my past. I was repeatedly amazed that what I would interpret as a scary or a “bad” dream was really a dramatic symbol representing my ability to see more of who I was with compassion and understanding. Self acceptance and self regard, unconditional love for myself began and continues to be a foundation of emotional and spiritual wellbeing from which I go out into my life… The repeated authority from which the dreams have given me information and guidance has transformed my life and has become a validation to me that there is a God, Higher Power or Healing Power of Nature from which we come and are a part of… calling us into wholeness.

Even without interpreting dreams, they are a sign of our soul’s yearning for wholeness. The work with others in using dreams taps into this inner world and power in such a dramatic way. Just asking about the dream connects the patient to their inner world, inner authority and spiritual nature. Even without interpretation. Adding some skilled work with the dream, that conscious dialog can be opened and facilitated. Once a person has contact with their soul through this process there is an empowerment for that person to face those hidden shadows, which include their gifts, that lie dormant. Work with the unconscious teaches us we are creating our reality through our thoughts and unconscious projections. To change our life we must change our projections and that requires work with the unconscious. When I did this it gave me the life and emotional freedom I always wanted and never had, especially from my anxieties and fears. I have worked hard for every good day I’ve had and the difficult ones are still now opportunity for more meaning to surface!