Category: Herbal Medicine

Detox Group November 2013

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Congratulations for stepping up and making a commitment to eat healthy for the next three weeks!  Motivation for doing the group for the first, second, third, even forth time for some, is to keep learning and being empowered to be our best and live our best lives!

Suffering is a good motivator for change but feeling good is an even better motivator for continued change and growth in personal empowerment!  My intention for this group is: Educate as to how food makes us sick and how it can keep us healthy.

Empower group members to make goals and reach them.

Offer the group an opportunity to see how a group can add support and be an opportunity to support others to be seen, to be heard, and to be cared for.

To bring the invitation for you to bring your spiritual values into your life with food and others.

We will share recipes and food ideas with one another on the blog and everyone will add tasty new cooking ideas to keep them motivated to incorporate whole food into a lifestyle.

 

Soup that we enjoyed this first evening:

  • 6 cups cubed squash  ( organic, cleaned and cubed… Costco)
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 red onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 head Kale
  • 2 cups mushrooms
  • 3 boxes Carrot Ginger Soup

Put Squash in a bowl and toss liberally with olive oil.  Spread on baking sheet and cook 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cut Cauliflower into small like sized pieces.  Toss liberally with olive oil.  Spread on baking sheet and cook 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile… in large soup pan saute chopped onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes or so.  Add boxed soup and keep warming.  Once hot add roasted vegetables and chopped kale.  Add seasoning to taste:  red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, etc.  ( any other combination of vegetables can be use such as zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, cabbage, green onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes)

Soups are often good to make enough for a few meals.  Heat the portion needed for each meal separately to keep vegetables from overcooking.

Baked Apples:

8 large apples:  peel, pare and cube.  Toss liberally with coconut oil.  Spread on baking sheet and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.  Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Enjoy warm or cooled.

 

 

 

 

Natural Medicine

Posted on by Dr. Lynn Mikel

Natural Medicine

Naturopathic treatments generally vary from allopathic medicine in that we use lesser force to stimulate the body’s ability to overcome disease and pathology. Treatments are directed toward the underlying cause of a condition instead of just trying to get rid of the symptoms. One example is using pharmaceutical drugs to get rid of the symptoms of heartburn instead of strengthening the digestive system or identifying and eliminating an offending food. Without addressing the underlying cause, symptoms will continue to worsen and more drugs will be needed to counter the symptoms.

An article from the Seattle Times reported that, “the number of deaths and serious injuries associated with prescription drug use rose to record levels in the first quarter of 2008 with 4,825 deaths and nearly 21,000 injuries.” Herbal medicine is a gentle but effective way to stimulate the body’s natural healing ability. Using plants as a remedy goes as far back as recorded history (if not farther) and today, as awareness and information about plant medicine grows, there is a thriving industry producing and selling these products. Not all products are created equal, however, and consumers must use caution when choosing which brands to buy. The beneficial properties of plants can be increased by dose or volume but also by quality. For example, many plants only have a medicinal effect if they are harvested at a certain time of the year so products that include those same plants harvested year round will be of inferior quality. Also, many companies increase the potency of their product by only including the “active ingredient” while excluding much of the rest of the plant. Herbalists know, though, that by using the whole plant there is an added synergistic effect which may ally the side effects of one part taken in high doses such as providing minerals that would otherwise be depleted by using the active ingredient alone.

Naturopaths are trained to assess the value of products and I maintain a close relationship with my herbal product vendors to ensure the highest quality and integrity of manufacturing.

Working with plants is not just about physical healing. Achieving balance and peace is just as important a goal as physical health. Consider all the various ways in which we form relationships with plants and how they contribute to peace of body, mind, and spirit: satisfying hours spent working in the garden, a flowering cherry tree in Spring, the lavender fields in Squim, vegetables fresh from the garden to the table, memories of flowers at your wedding or at the funeral of a loved one, the scent of stepping off the plane in Hawaii.

One of my favorite books, Plant Spirit Medicine by Eliot Cowan put such a relationship in this way: “Consciousness, therefore, is not merely thought, much less intellect or reason. It is the feeling of being alive and being related to all life. Consciousness as pure feeling exists already in the plant and is hidden in the rock, even within the atom itself. It is only when we come to look upon all things as human that we are capable of truly humane existence. Such a lesson is taught to us by plants and herbs whose existence is still grounded in the unity of nature, through which we may return to understand ourselves better. Therefore, plants may communicate directly to that essence of feeling which makes a true human being. Plants bring us the love, the nourishing power of the sun, which is the same energy of the stars, of all light. They exist for psychological, as well as physical nourishment.”

 

Local Food Banks Need Your Help During the Holiday Season!

Highline Area Food Bank

White Center Food Bank

Des Moines Food Bank

West Seattle Food Bank

Kent Food Bank & Emergency Services

Rotary First Harvest

Beacon Avenue Food Bank

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.

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

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!