Lemons from Our Lemon Tree

Happy New Year, people! In today’s blog post, we are offering a simple 3 step plan for starting out the New Year by taking 3 steps towards a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this program is to help support your body in reducing inflammation, to support blood sugar balance and to eliminate foods that you may be having an allergic reaction to.

After you complete the 3 step program you will lose some weight, regulate your blood sugar and reduce body-wide inflammation. You will have lots of energy and you will have gone through an experience that will give huge insight into how easy it is to eat a healthy diet.

I. Step #1: The Lemon/Limeade Fast: Supporting Your Body Towards Balanced Blood Sugar

This first step is very successful in helping to balance blood sugar and stop the damage from metabolic syndrome or early stage type II diabetes type problems. Skip this step if you are hypoglycemic.

Here’s what you do:

1. Find a large container, preferably 1 gallon and glass, and fill it almost to the top with filtered water.

2. Add juice and pulp from 5 lemons and 5 limes (preferably organic or home grown) to the filtered water.

3. Add organic grade B maple syrup to the mixture. Let your taste dictate the amount. The goal is to soften the tart flavor of the lemon/lime juice, but not to add so much that it will negatively affects your blood sugar.2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of maple syrup per gallon is usually a good amount.

4. You may also brew some green tea in a separate container and add this to the mixture. Tastes will vary, but generally 5-6 cups of tea per gallon is good.

5. Now you are going to fast with this drink:

A. Don’t take any other supplements during this fast unless specifically recommended by your healthcare practitioner.

B. Drink this mixture only. Basically, you want to take sips every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day. This is the most important thing to do because drinking this frequently will keep you from getting hungry and will help to keep your blood sugar at a good level.

C. If you can’t handle having this alone, you can eat a food that you do not normally eat (for example: Brussels sprouts or kale), but this can only be steamed and without any seasonings.

D. You will follow this fast for 3 to 5 days, or as otherwise recommended by your healthcare practitioner.

II. Step #2: The Clearvite Program

1. Once you have finished the 3 to 5 day Lemon/Limeade fast, you will start on a 2 to 3 week Clearvite program. (To learn more about Clearvite .) Clearvite is an enzyme-based, vitamin and mineral supplement that helps the liver with phase I and phase II detoxification and reduces inflammation in your digestive tract as well as your entire body. This stuff really works and we have plenty in stock at reduced prices. Come and get it!

2. Your healthcare practitioner may recommend additional supplements or current blood work during this step.

3. Clearvite comes with a brochure that explains in detail what foods to eat and what foods to avoid while you are on the supplement. You will eliminate all foods that may be allergy causing and this helps to reduce inflammation in your digestive tract as well as to allow your immune system to calm down.

The foods that most commonly cause problems are: all dairy products, soy products, products containing gluten, corn based products, peanuts, plants from the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc.), and sometimes eggs and gelatin.

In order to successfully complete this phase of the program you will need to plan your meals and shop for those foods that you can eat so that you have them in the house.

III. Step #3: Reintroduce Foods that May Cause Problems

1. In the final phase of the program, you will reintroduce foods that you eliminated during the diet one food at a time. Add one food into your diet every 3 days. If you have any acute symptoms from doing this like headaches, joint pain, fatigue or a foggy headed feeling, then you know this food causes problems and should be avoided. Your healthcare practitioner may recommend further tests for these allergens.

2. If you do not have a reaction to this food after 3 days, you may add an additional food back into your diet and watch for symptoms for another 3 days. Continue this process until all of the “problem foods” have been added back to your diet and you have checked for symptoms.

3. It is a really good idea to keep a detailed food journal throughout this entire process to help you keep track of what foods cause what problems and to help you to understand your body better.

Complete this process and you will learn a great deal about yourself and your body, you will lose weight, gain mental clarity and relieve inflammation in your entire body. You will also be able to see that its not that hard to eat a healthy diet and most people continue to eat this way because they feel so good after going through the process. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them here as comments or give us a call. Our number can be found on the homepage of this website. Good luck and get the New Year started the right way!

In today’s blog post we explore systemic enzymes and look at some of the ways they effectively relieve pain without causing harmful side effects. (That’s what I’m talkin’about!)

Nature’s Little Helpers

Enzymes are used by our bodies to speed up chemical reactions. Without them these reactions would be as slow as molasses running uphill in the dead of winter (Trust me, that is slow, people!). However, life as we know it needs action and enzymes evolved because they move life’s processes forward very effectively.

Enzymes are proteins that act as “bio-catalysts” which means a biological agent that makes something work or work faster.We have about 3000 enzymes in our bodies and they interact in over 7000 enzymic reactions. They are very versatile, many of the same enzymes are used in many different chemical reactions.

Most of the enzymes we use clinically are derived from protein digesting enzymes. However, protein digestion is only one of the many things that enzymes can do. They are also excellent at reducing inflammation.

Reduces Inflammation Naturally

Systemic enzymes work with the body naturally to reduce inflammation. Most NSAIDS (readers of this blog know how I feel about these drugs) like Acetominophen, Ibuprofen, Celebrex, and Vioxx are thought to work by prostaglandin synthetase inhibition.

In other words, these drugs shut down down this important enzyme that is used in lots of processes (like building intestinal lining and keeping the kidneys working properly – kind of important), not just inflammation.

Systemic enzymes work by breaking down proteins that help cause inflammation. These are called circulating immune complexes and they are the immune system’s answer to some type of irritation. For example, let’s say you have an injured left shoulder. The immune system sensing the problems creates a circulating immune complex that is programmed by the immune system specifically for the shoulder.

These complexes migrate to the left shoulder and cause pain, redness and swelling.(The classic signs of inflammation). At first, this is a good thing; it warns us that a part of our body is hurt and needs attention. But, inflammation feeds on itself, it creates more circulating immune complexes that end up creating more inflammation, and on and on.

Non Toxic, No Side Effects and Very Few Contraindications

Systemic enzymes can tell the difference between the good circulating immune complexes and the bad ones. They just “eat” the bad ones and in the process lower inflammation everywhere in the body. When you do that, you also relieve pain.

Also, these enzymes are not toxic to the body at all. In fact, there are no toxic levels of systemic enzymes. The only potential problem with them is that they are very effective at cleaning the blood and can make blood thinners like Warfarin or Coumadin more effective. (Be careful if you are taking that medication).

Enzymes Clean The Blood

Enzymes improve circulation by eating the excess fibrin that causes blood to thicken and creates the perfect environment for the formation of clots. All of this material is supposed to be cleared by the liver, but many people’s livers are so burdened by chemicals and environmental toxicity that they do not work very well. In addition, as we age, we produce fewer enzymes, so our bodies have less to work with.

When systemic enzymes are taken, they help the liver because they:

* Clean excess fibrin from the blood and reducing the stickiness of blood cells. These are the two leading causes of stroke and heart attack because they are responsible for the formation of blood clots.

*  Break down dead material down small enough that it can immediately pass into the bowel.

Enzymes Eat Fibrosis and Scar Tissue

Like a good Pacman, systemic enzymes also eat fibrosis and scar tissue. As we age, fibrosis (which is a form of scar tissue) tends to accumulate because our bodies release enzymes more slowly to preserve them.

The result is that fibrin starts to accumulate everywhere, in our blood vessels, in our organs, in our joints, etc.  This is why many women begin to develop things like fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and we all grow arterial sclerotic plaque (which is also scar tissue). This is also why as we age we get stiffer and wounds leave bigger scars.

What we are now learning is that we can replace the lost enzymes and reduce the amount of scar tissue and fibrosis our bodies have. Doctors in the US are now discovering what medical doctors in Europe and Asia have known for years. That taking systemic enzymes can heal fibrosis many years after it has formed.

Enzymes Also Help Regulate the Immune System

This is huge. Enzymes are, essentially, adaptogenic. This means they help the body come back to balance. So when our immune systems are running low, we get sick more easily because we are vulnerable to infection.

One way enzymes can help us when our immune systems are low is to help breakdown viruses because they can tell the difference between the proteins that are supposed to be in your body and those that are foreign. By eating the proteins that build cell walls for viruses they disrupt viral replication and stop them in their tracks!

On the other hand, when our immune systems are too revved up our body creates antibodies that attack our own tissue and we may develop diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylizing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, etc.

Systemic enzymes can be an excellent tool in combating auto-immune diseases because they will breakdown the antibodies the immune system is making to attack the body’s own tissue.

Green Health Acupuncture Has the Best Enzyme Products on the Market

At Green Health Acupuncture, we sell a variety of products that utilize enzymes for many purposes including helping your body to absorb the vitamins and minerals more effectively, systemic enzymes to reduce inflammation, enzymes and probitotics for gastro-intestinal health and more.

Stay tuned, in an upcoming blog I will detail many of the common enzymes that we use in our practice and explain in graphic detail how they do the marvelous things that they do. ( That is, only if you stop your merciless campaign of idiot spamming – you know who you are!)

Some References:

1. Carroll A., R.: Clinical examination of an enzymatic anti-inflammatory agent in emergency surgery. Arztl. Praxis 24 (1972), 2307.

2. Mazzone A, et al.: Evaluation of Serratia peptidase in acute or chronic inflammation of otorhinolaryngology pathology: a multicentre, double blind, randomized trial versus placebo. J Int Med Res. 1990; 18(5):379-88.

3. Kee W., H. Tan S, L., Lee V. Salmon Y. M.: The treatment of breast engorgement with Serrapeptase: a randomized double blind controlled trial. Singapore Med J. 1989:30(l):48-54.
Celebrex article Wall Street Journal 19 April 1999.

4.  Ernst E., Matrai A.: Oral Therapy with proteolytic enzymes for modifying blood rheology. Klin Wschr. 65 (1987), 994.

5.   Kunze R., Ransberger K., et at: Humoral immunomodulatory capasity of proteases in immune complex decomposition and formation. First International symposium on combination therapies, Washington, DC, 1991.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to cure, treat, fix, heal, improve or even have an effect on any disease. Don’t believe everything you read and make sure you cultivate a healthy bit of skepticism even with the ” experts”.

In today’s blog post we take a look at an emerging trend that drug companies are now pursuing. The creation of a new hybrid of drugs and supplements called “medical food”. We’ll be exploring one such product known as flavocoxid, prescribed under the brand name, Lembril.

Flavocoxid Contains Flavonoids, Plant Pigments that Provide Positive Pain Relief

Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds found in plants and their primary role is to provide color. These are what make blueberries blue, raspberries red and summer squash yellow. These are also found in other foods like coffee, tea, wine beer and dark chocolate.

There are many different flavanoids and over 4,000 have been characterized and classified. They are known for their anti-oxidant and protective effects. Several studies have shown that flavonoids actually protect Vitamin C in the body, allowing us to get more out of the vitamin once it is in our body.

Long Used in Traditional Cultures

Flavonoids are found in many traditional herbs that are used in a variety of cultures. They are known to protect the body against cancer and heart disease as well as aiding in reducing inflammation in the body.

It is no surprise that many pharmacutical companies are now mining traditional herbal medicine to produce drugs known as “medical food” that are a kind of hybrid of drugs and herbal medicine.

And while we are skeptical of anything that big pharma does, this is one area of research and development that shows promise for creating some very interesting and effective results.

Flavocoxid

One such product that is now available by prescription only is called flavocoxid, known by the brand name , Lembril. It is prescribed for osteo-arthritis.

This “medical food” is a proprietary blend of 2 traditional Chinese herbs and zinc. Let’s take a look at what these herbs are used for traditionally and how modern research has led to their use in this product.

Flavocoxid contains Scutellaria baicalensis (known by the Chinese name Huang Qin) and Acacis catechu (also called Er Cha).

Huang Qin

Scutellaria baicalensis is a root that is found in the Chinese medical category of heat clearing and dampness drying herbs. It is a potent natural anti-biotic and has long been used for its anti-inflammatory properties.

It has also been used for centuries to lower fevers, to protect the liver and gall bladder and to stimulate the secretion of bile from the gall bladder and to lower blood pressure.

It is one of the most common Chinese herbs and every student of Chinese herbal medicine must know this herb in order to pass their exams from Acupuncture School.

Er Cha

Acasis catechu, whose Chinese name Er Cha literally means “child’s tea”, is an herb that was used topically to help heal sores and ulcerations and  stop bleeding. In addtion, it is taken internally to treat coughs and stop diarrhea.

It is an anti-biotic and has been found to inhibit staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas, diphtheria, dysentery and salmonella beacteria. In addition, it has liver protective effects and has been found to lower SGPT liver enzymes in rats.

Zinc

Zinc is added to this product because it is an essential mineral co-factor used by many enzymes in the body including enzymes that help with bone and cartilage metabolism.

As Effective as Naproxen Without the Side Effects

Flavocoxid was shown in a double blind study study to be as effective as Naproxen, an NSAID, without any of the side effects. Readers of my blog are familiar with my concerns about NSAIDs and are free to explore my previous posts to learn more.

Flavocoxid has both  Cox-2 and 5-Lox inhibitory effects. (That’s right people it stops the cox and the lox.)

NSAIDS are not a good treatment for oesteoarthritis because they essentially shut down COX-1 and COX 2 processes in the body and force inflammatory processes to go somewhere else. In this case down what is known as 5-LOX pathway.

The end result is that inflammation to cartilage is increased and not decreased and arachidonic acid (an inflammatory chemical) is converted by reactive oxygen species (the ones that anti-oxidants fight) into chemicals that directly damage cartlilage. (For more on this, check out this article).

The use of flavonoids is different, they dampen the effects of inflammatory chemicals without shutting down the pathways altogether. NSAIDS and Cox-2 inhibitors shut down these pathways  and interrupt other important processes in the body that are not related to pain and inflammation.

Bottom Line

Anything in high enough concentrations may result in unwanted side effects. This is the beauty of herbal medicine, the relative strength of dosage, even with concentrations, are usually far weaker than any pharmaceutical product. Therefore, while we like the direction this is heading, we remain cautiously optimistic about “medical food.”

At Green Health Acupuncture we have all the ingredients found in flavocoxid and we work with Dr. Neil K. Hersh, a holistic MD who can prescribe this “medical food” in appropriate circumstances.

Sources:

Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology, John and Tina Chen, Art of Medicine Press, 2004

R. Levy, R. Saikovsky, E. Schmidt, and A. Khokhlov, “Safety, efficacy, and acceptability of flavocoxid (Limbrel) compared with naproxen in subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee, a pilot study,”
Oesteoarthritis and Cartilage 15 (suppl B)(2007): B91

Disclaimer: This information is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to cure, treat, fix, heal, improve or even have an effect on any disease. Don’t believe everything you read and make sure you cultivate a healthy bit of skepticism even with the ” experts”.

In today’s blog post we continue our ongoing exploration of the truth, by asking an important question about cortisone injections. Are they always a good idea? It turns out the answer really depends on whether you are talking about short term pain relief or long term healing. Read on to learn all about it.

Cortisone: Steroid From Heaven

Cortisone was first synthesized in the 1940′s and was hailed as a game changer. It soon became a relatively safe, and dependable way  to treat the pain and inflammation from sports injuries (as well as other conditions). Cortisone shots became one of the preferred treatments for overuse injuries of tendons, like a sore Achilles tendon or tennis elbow because  up until that point both conditions had been very hard to treat. The shots worked, providing rapid relief of pain.

Not So Fast

Then came the earliest clinical trials, including one, published in 1954, that raised doubts about cortisone’s powers. In that early study, more than half the patients who received a cortisone shot for tennis elbow or other tendon pain suffered the same injury within six months.

But that did not stop the enthusiasm of marketers and physicians alike for cortisone (also known as corticosteroids). After all, who could argue? It had such a powerful, immediate effect against pain. Today cortisone shots remain a standard, much-asked for treatment for tennis elbow and other tendon problems.

Pain Relief and Healing Are Not The Same Thing

But a major review article, published last year in The Lancet , questions the conventional wisdom about cortisone. The review examined the results of over 40 randomized trials, which looked at thousands of people with tendon injuries, particularly tennis elbow, but also shoulder and Achilles-tendon pain.

The reviewers determined that, for most of those who suffered from tennis elbow, cortisone injections did, as promised, bring fast and significant pain relief, compared with doing nothing or following a regimen of physical therapy. The pain relief could last for weeks.

But when the patients were re-examined at 6 and 12 months, the results were much different. Over all, people who received cortisone shots had a much lower rate of full recovery than those who did nothing or who underwent physical therapy.

They also had a 63 percent higher risk of relapse than people who just decided to wait-and-see. The data for cortisone as a treatment for other aching tendons, like sore shoulders and Achilles-tendon pain, was not strong either, the review found. But in terms of tennis elbow, the shots seemed to actually do more harm than good.

More is Definitely Not Better

People who got multiple injections may also be at particularly high risk for continuing damage. In one study that the researchers reviewed, “an average of four injections resulted in a 57 percent worse outcome when compared to one injection.”

And we have seen this clinically. When people get relief from an injection, they are naturally inclined to get another one. Often the second one won’t provide pain relief for as long a period and 6 months to a year later they are back and things are worse. Short term relief, long term suffering.

Why Do Cortisone Shots Slow the Healing of Tennis Elbow?

Numerous studies have shown, convincingly, that these overuse injuries do not involve inflammation. When animal or human tissues from these types of injuries are looked at closely, they do not show evidence of inflammation. Instead, the injury seems to be the result of the tendons breaking down.

The fibers within the tendons fray. Today the injuries usually are referred to as tendinopathies, or diseased tendons (as opposed to tendonitis or inflamed tendons). In addition, according to RxList.com, common side effects of cortisone injections include  thinning of the joint cartilage, weakening of the ligaments of the joint, and increased inflammation in the joint (arthritis) due to a reaction to a corticosteroid that has crystallized.

It stands to reason that something that causes further damage to the tendons is not going to help solve the original problem of an already damaged tendon.

Bottom Line

Athletes and those with  overuse tendon related conditions should really think long and hard before getting cortisone injections. A better approach might be to try something else first like (dare I say it?) acupuncture, herbal therapy and lots of tender loving care (also known as TLC) for those painful tendons.

Chinese Medicine to the Rescue

Ancient masters of Chinese medicine knew this about tendons. Both acupuncture and herbal therapy are aimed at “nourishing and repairing” frayed tendons, not merely on reducing the inflammation. In fact, there is an entire category of herbs in the Materia Medica (a large collection of herbs and other natural substances) that is devoted to “wind-damp dispelling and tendon and bone strengthening herbs”. These are herbs used for chronic pain conditions like tendinopathies and rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

More will be revealed about these particular herbs in an upcoming blog post that will reward you, fanatics of this blog, for your good behavior (leaving great comments and not spamming us into dyslexia).

As your good luck would have it, we treat pain related to tendon problems at Green Health Acupuncture. Click that link to learn how you can contact us and be relieved of tendon pain.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to cure, treat, fix, heal, improve or even have an effect on any disease. Don’t believe everything you read and make sure you cultivate a healthy bit of skepticism even with the ” experts”.

Remember those goofy infomercials with the Chia Pets? Well it turns out that seed you painted onto those clay animals is the new “superfood”. And its a pretty amazing anti-inflammatory with:

* 15 times more magnesium than broccolli

* 6 times more calcium than whole milk

* 2 times more potassium than banana

* 30% more anti-oxidants than blueberries

* More Omega-3 fatty acids than flax seed

This stuff is the bomb!

Chia seeds are high in easily digestible protein, essential fatty acids (EFAs), vitamins, soluble fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. They are currently being used for their nutritional and medicinal properties, endurance for athletes, for suppressing the appetite, weight loss, leveling blood sugar, and for aiding intestinal regularity.

Chia seeds readily dissolve into the water, creating a substance that looks like gelatin. This gel-forming action is due to the soluble fiber in the Chia seed. Researchers believe that this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when Chia seed is consumed, thus creating a physical barrier between carbohydrates and digestive enzymes and slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. Slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar helps with endurance and metabolic rates, which is beneficial for athletes, diabetics and others.

For weight loss, Chia seeds are an appetite suppressant, and Chia gel may be used to replace food within recipes. Bulking up a meal with Chia gel helps lessen the amount of food consumed, since Chia gel is primarily made up of water. Chia gel may also be used in place of fats within recipes, even within baked goods. Chia seed has hydrophilic properties, and can absorb more than 12 times its weigh in water. Because of this, Chia seeds can prolong hydration, helping retain moisture and regulate more efficiently the body’s absorption of nutrients and body fluids, including electrolyte balance.

When famous tennis star, Venus Williams, was recently diagnosed with Sjogren syndrome, light was cast on a group of disorders that are all autoimmune based. One of the most common of this group is rheumatoid arthirtis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It can also affect other organs. It is an auto-immune disease, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissue.

RA can begin at any age, but is more common in middle age. Women usually get RA more often than men. It’s painful, gets worse and worse and, frankly, it sucks.

Symptoms

RA usually affects joints on both sides of the body equally. Wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles are the most commonly affected. The disease often begins slowly, usually with only minor joint pain, stiffness, and fatigue. It can then progress to gradually worse symptoms and may involve a host of other organs and systems that start breaking down.

RA usually requires long term (your whole life) treatment, and western medicine uses medications, physical therapy, exercise, education, and possibly surgery to treat it.

Medications Used are Brutal and Destructive

Disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are often the first drugs tried in patients with RA. They are prescribed in addition to rest, strengthening exercises, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Methotrexate (Rheumatrex) is the most commonly used DMARD for rheumatoid arthritis. Leflunomide (Arava) and sulfasalazine may also be used.    These drugs may have serious side effects , so you will need frequent blood tests to monitor your liver when taking them.

Anti-inflammatory medications: These include aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naprosen (readers of my blog know my feelings about ibuprofen – in case you missed it check it out here). Long-term use can cause stomach problems, such as ulcers and bleeding, and possible heart problems.

Celecoxib (Celebrex) is a Cox-2 inhibitor and another anti-inflammatory drug, but it is labeled with strong warnings about heart disease and stroke because as it turns out Cox-2 is important for healthy heart activity (darn the luck!).

Antimalarial medications including hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)are also sometimes used, and these are usually combined with with methotrexate. It may be weeks or months before you see any benefit from these medications (while the doctors fiddle, your liver burns).

Corticosteroids: These medications reduce joint swelling and inflammation. Because of long-term side effects (like weight gain, bone and cartilidge destruction, depression and pancreatitis – just to name a few) corticosteroids should be taken only for a short time and in low doses when possible.

All of These Drugs Have 2 Things in Common

Firstly, with the exception of the anti-malarial drugs, they all have side effects that can be very destructive to your body and your health. Secondly, they do absolutely nothing to address the problem: a dysfunctional immune system.

Why Do Our Immune Systems Go Hay Wire?

The short answer is, we don’t know. However, the increasing prevalence of these disorders point to a number of possible causes including infections, genetic disorders, environmental toxins and increasingly animal and plant products that have been heavily dosed with anti-biotics and hormones or have been genetically modified or both.

We really do not know what exactly causes a dysfunctional immune system, but one thing we can identify are things in your diet that can cause allergic reactions and an inflammatory response, which is an immune response. If you want to radically reduce the amount of pain that someone with RA is suffering, the best thing to do is to get them to go on an elimination diet which allows their immune system a chance to calm down.

In our practice we first put people on a special fast with a product called Clearvite . This is an enzyme based vitamin and mineral supplement that is very nutritious and gentle and is rice protein based so that it is hypo-allergenic. While taking this product you must eliminate a number of foods from your diet that are contributing to an elevated immune response.

Avoid These Foods

These foods are: any food you are allergic to (duh!), all dairy products (including milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter) eggs, margarine and shortening, all gluten containing foods including wheat, oats (there are some gluten free oats available on the market), rye, barley, etc. Tomatoes and tomato products, corn, peanuts and peanut butter, soy and soy products, alcohol, caffeine based products (coffee, black tea and soda), beef, pork, cold cuts, bacon, hotdogs, canned meat, sausage, shellfish, soy based meat substitutes.

What Can You Eat?

Everything else: fruit, vegetables, green tea, herbal teas, grains that don’t contain gluten such as millet, rice, quinoa, buckwheat or tapioca, beans, peas, fish (except shellfish), chicken, turkey and lamb. Use olive oil and flaxseed oil in moderation for oils.

Try It for 2 to 3 weeks and You Will See a Reduction in Pain as well as increased energy and clarity. Once a person has eliminated all of these foods for this amount of time they often realize that they can do without and modify their lives accordingly.

But if there is a food or foods among those you must eliminate that you just can’t live without then you can reintroduce those foods ONE AT A TIME for a period of 3 to 4 days and observe. If they are causing your symptoms you will know in short order that they are the offenders.

Its not easy, but you have a choice: continue suffering and live through the progression of the disease ( which in some means things get gradually worse and worse, they destroy your liver and immune system with pharmaceutical intervention and then, eventually, you die) or find relief and a much healthier lifestyle that will benefit you in a myriad of ways that doesn’t require any pharmaceutical drugs.

If your choose to go without the foods that are, ultimately, contributing to your demise and embrace a healthier lifestyle, then you have a chance to work towards restoring a healthy immune system. That’s what Part II of this blog will be all about. Stay tuned and play nice (meaning leave great comments and don’t spam the crap out of us!)

Disclaimer: This information is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to cure, treat, fix, heal, improve or even have an effect on any disease. Don’t believe everything you read and make sure you cultivate a healthy bit of skepticism even with the ” experts”.

This comes directly from Food  and Water Watch , an organization that works to preserve healthy drinking water and food.

If you are not familiar with them, please click the link above and feast your eyes on a very valuable organization. And if you are a California resident there is a bill in front of the state senate that has been written to propose the very simple idea that our drinking water should be drinkable and not hazardous to our health. Check out the info below:

Imagine turning on the tap and not being able to drink the water that comes out. This is a reality for over 100,000 people in California who do not have access to safe drinking water. But, our state Senate can change all that by passing Assembly Bill 685 and declaring water a human right. Take action today and demand swift passage of this critical bill.

This bill would guarantee every human being in California the right to safe and affordable drinking water. But the president of the California State Senate, Darrell Steinberg, is obstructing its passage, and the water rights of thousands of Californians. Stand with us and urge Senator Steinberg to support safe drinking water for all Californians.

California residents all over the state should expect that the water that comes out of our taps is safe to drink. Buying bottled water, which has been proposed by some as an actual solution, is an unacceptable alternative to safe, affordable tap water. By acknowledging that access to clean water is a human right, our legislators can take an important first step to making this a reality. Demand Senator Steinberg stop delaying a vote on this bill now.

Take action here: Click on this link to take a stand. Then go get a glass of water, preferably filtered because you just don’t know at this point what is coming out of your tap, do you?

This is a MUST READ if you have kids. Previously we have blogged about the harmful potential side effects of ibuprofen and the fact it really may do more harm than good for athletes who use it to recover from injury. If you haven’t read the previous blog please check it out here because today’s entry will spin off it: Ibuprofen, Its Not Candy People

Personal Injury Attorneys, Start Your Billing

Across the US, P. I. attorneys are salivating and the lawsuits are coming as ibuprofen has been linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a scary skin disease in which cell death causes the epidermis to separate from the dermis (remember science class?).

The syndrome is thought to be a hypersensitivity condition that affects the skin and the mucous membranes. Although they don’t know the cause in the majority of cases , the main  known causes are medication, followed by infections and, only rarely, cancers.

In June, a jury in Pennsylvannia awarded 13 year old, Brianna May, $10 million dollars in damages for suffering that she experienced due to this syndrome as a result of taking Children’s Motrin and Children’s Tylenol that she was given as a 3 year old by her parents because she was running a fever.

After she took the drugs, a fine rash on her body and mild redness around her eyes developed and then became something much worse: a potentially fatal skin reaction that burned and blistered her body inside and out, blinded her in one eye and left her fighting for her life in a burn unit 1,000 miles from home.

Also-this just in: Last week, a California appeals court cleared the way for a punitive damages claim against Johnson & Johnson to move forward in a Motrin lawsuit that claims the company failed to warn U.S. consumers about the risks of serious and potentially fatal skin reactions known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

The case involves a lawsuit filed in 2008 by Christopher Trejo, who suffered Stevens-Johnson syndrome from Motrin in 2005, when he was 15 years old. According to the complaint, Johnson & Johnson and it’s subsidiary McNeil Consumer Healthcare, failed to adequately warn that the potential side effects of Motrin included a risk of SJS or the more severe TEN.

There Will Be Blood

Well, maybe not blood, but definitely more lawsuits to follow as parents who have gone through hell will begin to get wind of this and come forward with more stories and complaints. Once again, we have been sold a bunch of crap about how safe this medication is. It’s not always safe, especially for children. And these conditions are not as rare as they would lead you to believe.

Stop It

Pediatricians all over the country recommend Children’s Motrin for fever. That is because it is “antipyretic” or it interrupts the processes in the body that lead to fever. Exactly how it does this is not entirely clear, but it is believed that these drugs (NSAIDS) work by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and prostaglandins are what are responsible for inflammation and fever in the body.

This brings up 2 interesting points: Firstly, are fevers always bad? As parents we all have the knee jerk response to help our little ones to stop suffering and when they are sick fevers are scary. However, fevers have a purpose, they are our body’s way of warding off invading bacteria and viruses and fevers up to 101 degrees or so, it is generally agreed, are not a bad thing. It is your little one’s immune system working. You don’t need to give them something every time they have a fever. And there are some effective herbal alternatives to that also have anti-pyretic effects (more on that in a future post – if you promise to be good – meaning you post insightful comments and don’t spam us to death).

The second point, which really applies to virtually all medication in today’s world (over the counter and otherwise), is that we are finding more and more that these drugs can sometimes do more harm than good. And that they have not been adequately tested for long term side effects, or for how they can behave differently in children’s developing bodies.

Drugs Usually Shut Down Some Part of Our System

Most drugs work by shutting something off in our bodies. The problem with this is, that every function in our bodies has evolved over millions of years and is there for a reason. In our arrogance and infinite wisdom, we assume that if we don’t understand them, they must be useless -not so fast. Shutting off the function often (as we are now seeing time and time again) has some pretty terrible unintended consequences. Ibuprofen is a great example.

It turns out that prostaglandins that ibuprofen shuts down are used in many, many processes in the body and that there are many different kinds and they are critically important. This is why long term use can lead to damage to your intestinal lining, damage to your heart (with Cox-2 inhibitors), and damage to your kidneys. And, as we can see above, in children,  these drugs behave somewhat differently and can lead to some scary damage to skin and mucous membranes.

There Has Got to Be a Better Way

At Green Health Acupuncture, we practice functional medicine. What that means is that we don’t prescribe or use anything unless we take into consideration how that impacts your body. When we use supplements or herbs we always think about what processes are involved and work with the body and not against it. This leads to virtually no side effects and none of the horrible unintended consequences that you have been reading about today.

It also yields great clinical results. Dare I say it? It just makes sense, people.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to cure, treat, fix, heal, improve or even have an effect on any disease. Don’t believe everything you read and make sure you cultivate a healthy bit of skepticism even with the ” experts”.

Hello People,

I’ve recently come out of a sugar induced coma to start blogging again and I’d like to share this bit of anecdotal thinking. Recently, I had a person share with me that they have discovered a miracle remedy for diabetic neuropathy: pickle juice.

Naturally, being a curious little monkey, I decided to investigate whether or not there might be something to this.

What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?

Neuropathy is damage to nerves, diabetic neuropathy is (you guessed it) neuropathy caused by diabetes. Diabetes causes damage to nerves because high sugar levels can eventually lead to the destruction of nerves throughout the body. The most common type of diabetic neuropathy is peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage that is usually concentrated in your arms and legs.

Diabetic neuropathy can be very painful and as the disease progresses can get worse and worse. Western medicine doesn’t really have any answers for peripheral neuropathies other than pain medication which, obviously, doesn’t address the main problem, excessive sugar in your diet ( a problem that is “ubiquitous” – to quote Walt Frasier).

Pickle Juice for Peripheral Neuropthy?

Being that this person was so convinced about the benefits of pickle juice I decided to do a little research to see if there was anything to this. Sure enough, pickle juice is a favorite remedy used by athletes and body builders for cramping, by country doctors of old for various ailments, for pregnant women who crave and by Russians as an antidote to excessive amounts of vodka.

What’s in pickle juice and how could those ingredients help with pain and cramping in the arms and legs? Pickle juice usually contains some combination of the following: vinegar, salt, dill, sometimes garlic, and black pepper. Let’s break it down:

Vinegar: According to Paul Pitchford in his book, Healing with Whole Foods, which offers a traditional Chinese medical perspective “..vinegar is warming. It creates a temporary warming circulation of  energy (qi) in the body and removes stagnant blood. It can quickly alter emotional stagnation as well, particularly in children – bad moods usually disappear a few moments after taking vinegar.” (yeah, cause it tastes like vinegar and they’ll be happy its over!) Recent research has also shown that pure vinegar relieved cramping more quickly than pickle juice and in an article  in the New York Times, Kevin C. Miller, Ph.D., ATC,  an assistant professor in the Athletic Training Education Program at North Dakota State University in Fargo, suggests that vinegar may somehow cause the nervous system to reset or be distracted and this may activate receptors that ultimately relieve pain. I think we have a winner here.

Salt: Harmonizes and promotes digestion, strengthens the kidneys (in small amounts), detoxifies, fortifies bones, tendons and teeth and is cooling and (wait for it) salty and sweet in nature. We also know that sodium (salt) is often lost during exercise and sweat and this is why drinks like Gatorade include sodium to replenish lost electrolytes. Salt is also thought to help prevent dehydration (again in small amounts).

However, salt also has lots of downsides, especially if you have elevated blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems that are very common with diabetes. It can make things a lot worse. And just like sugar, there is no shortage of sodium in the average American diet. More salt is not the answer.

Dill: This herb is relaxing, it fortifies the digestive system , it increases urination helping removal of toxic substances from the body, it acts as a carminative (helps removal of gases), it is anti-spasmodic (prevents cramps), it is anti flatulent, it stimulates lactation and endocrinal secretions, dill also enhances libido due to presence of Arginine and is a good source of calcium. So maybe dill adds something to the mix.

Garlic: The bulb that we love is hot and pungent, anti-fungal, anti-viral, detoxifies meat and seafood, kills worms, removes stagnation food and stagnant blood, reduces abscesses. Not a lot there that applies to diabetic neuropathy, but good to know if you got some worms.

Black Pepper: Like garlic this herb is hot and pungent, it warms digestion, dispels internal cold and can be an antidote to food poisoning. Again not a lot here for diabetic neuropathy.

Cucumbers: They are, after all what pickle are made of. Cucumbers are cool, sweet and bland, the peels are bitter. They clear heat, quench thirst, relieve irritability and promote diuresis (makes you go pee). Once again, not a lot in the way of diabetic neuropathy.

Bottom Line: If anything, its the vinegar, people. The best types of vinegar are organic, naturally brewed, unpasteurized, and unfiltered forms of apple cider (my personal favorite), (brown) rice wine,  umeboshi (a Japanese vinegar) and white wine. One thing to note, when chronic conditions respond well to vinegar, one must often keep using it or the condition and symptoms return. (Not so different from many medications). For dosage, 1/3 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar 2 or 3 times a day will do the trick, add 1 teaspoon of honey to make it go down better.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to cure, treat, fix, heal, improve or even have an effect on any disease. Don’t believe everything you read and make sure you cultivate a healthy bit of skepticism even with the ” experts”.

I was shocked recently when an elderly person informed me that they were taking darvocet for pain relief. How quickly we forget things in this quick news cycle internet tornado that we are daily exposed to.

Let’s Review

In November 2010, the FDA recommended (in this memo) that darvon and darvocet be pulled from the market after 30 years of back and forth arguements about the safety of these drugs.

Here’s the Issue

The FDA released this statement to state that Darvon & Darvocet have side effects that far outweigh the benefits of the drugs as pain relievers. The FDA advised health care professionals to stop prescribing drugs containing propoxyphene (the generic name for darvon) to their patients as soon as possible and discontinue the use of Darvon or Darvocet in the treatment of patients that are already being prescribed the drugs.

New Study Indicates Cardiovascular Side Effects From Darvon, Darvocet

The FDA requested the Recall of Darvon and Darvocet after results from a new study demonstarted that even in therapeutic doses, the drugs had significant side effects on the electrical activity of the heart. The changes (which can be seen on an electrocardiogram) can increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms. These findings led the FDA to conclude that the safety risks of propoxyphene outweigh it’s potential pain relieving benefits.

Here’s What the Study Showed

In order to determine a safe therapeutic dose to incorporate into the Thorough QT study (A QT study  formally evaluates the drugs effects on the heart’s electrical system), the FDA required the drug manufacturer to first conduct a multiple-ascending dose (MAD) study.

The MAD study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled sequential multiple-ascending dose study (try saying that 10 times as fast as you can) of propoxyphene for 11 days. The study was conducted in healthy volunteers. The first cohort of study subjects was dosed with a total daily dose of 600 mg of propoxyphene (the maximum labeled dose) and the second cohort was dosed with a total daily dose of 900 mg. Additional doses were planned, however the study was placed on clinical hold due to safety concerns. The study clearly showed that the drug had a significant effect on the heart rythmns.

Who Is Most at Risk

Because the elderly and patients with kidney issues (especially renal insufficiency) have a reduction in the clearance of propoxyphene and its cardioactive metabolite, norpropoxyphene, through the kidneys, these populations can be especially vulnerable to bad side effects of the drug.

Bottom Line

Just say “no” to these drugs.  There are plenty of other options for pain relief.