Monday, December 29, 2008

Computerized Regulation Thermography

Thermography is the scientific approach of taking precise temperatures and acquiring from them meaning. There are two different systems in medical thermography for gathering the temperature data. One is with the use of infrared photography, and the other is by direct measurement with a temperature probe. The later form is much more accurate, and is the method utilized in Computerized Regulation Thermography (CRT).

The CRT equipment takes precise temperature readings at about 120 different points on the body. The body is then put through a 10-minute cool-down period, which introduces stress followed by a repeat taking of the temperatures at each of the prior points. A computerized assessment of the temperature readings is then undertaken utlizing a database of more than 30,000 patient temperature readings.

A few of the things which the CRT can point to include: 1) the presence of cancer and the likelihood for it developing, 2) toxicity, 3) inflammation, 4) allergies, 5) infections, and 6) stress coping ability. It is a recognized alternative/adjunctive diagnostic screening tool for breast cancer when a person desires to avoid the radiation of mammograms. The CRT is valuable in its ability to point to a potential health problem. Many abnormalities found on CRT may require more specific and pointed diagnostic procedures to accurately diagnose a health problem. For example, a CRT may show a warm, poorly regulated point on a breast. This may necessitate a follow-up ultrasound, mammogram, and/or biopsy to rule out breast cancer.

A CRT scan assesses the stress load/function of each of the major organs in the body including: lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, colon, ovaries/prostate, uterus/bladder, kidneys, spine, sinuses and lymphatic system. A scan takes about 40-50 minutes and involves no radiation of any kind.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

The Opening Days of Germ Factoria

The start of school has already happened in some parts, here (in Washington State) it's still a little ways off but one thing it almost always means is that suddenly our children are thrown into large germ incubators. Schools are a place for the spread of a lot of germs. So here are some things you can do to keep your kids a little higher on the resistance list -- realizing that every cold/flu/infection exercises their immune system and makes it stronger with a wider repertoire of things it can protect itself against. (This is the old theory: what doesn't kill you, cures you.)

Hands: The route the majority of germs take this time of year is: from nose/mouth to hand or surface to nose/mouth. Working with children to cough into the crook of their elbow (not their hands) helps keep germs from hands that go to surfaces that get picked up and rubbed on another's mouth, eyes, or nose. Hand washing helps break the route. Schools, fortunately, have figured this out and have started using anti-bacterial gels and encouraging hand-washing. Not that I think the chemical exposures and uses of anti-bacterials is a good idea, but the notion to break that germ route is a good one.

Vitamins; A routine daily dose of Vitamin C - at least 150 mg to 500 mg depending on the age (less for younger) helps improve cellular resistance to attack by bacteria, viruses, etc. More servings of fruits and vegetables will increase phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals in BALANCED adequate levels that maintain strong immune forces.

Sleep: insuring kids get to bed and are getting at very minimum 8 hours of sleep. Putting a cold vaporizer in their rooms can help keep mucus membranes from drying out and opening paths for germs to invade.

Sugar: The entire school year is a good time to use the excuse of not being sick to eradicate simple sugars from as much of your child's diet as possible. Sucrose and high fructose corn syrup are the most prevalent types found in virtually all processed foods. DO NOT make the mistake of using artificial sweeteners for a substitute!!! ALL artificial sweeteners are basically poisonous. (I'll write another blog about that soon.) Sugars make the immune system drunk and loopy so they can't react to the attackers. The less sugar eaten, the healthier children will remain.

So those are a few tips that will reduce the number of days your kids will miss school. They'll be thrilled, won't they?

Friday, August 22, 2008

Should I Get A Flu Shot?

Fall is not too far away, so I know that it's nearing that time of year that the Center for Disease Control in cahoots with Public Health and brainwashed doctors and nurses begin their campaigns to immunize every man, woman, and child against the dreaded influenza virus. As you can tell from my lead in, I'm no fan of flu shots. Here's why:

Flu shots are educated gambles. Each year the thinking heads put their caps on and run simulations and come up with their best guesses about how last year's flu virus(es) might mutate into this year's virus(es). Then they set about engineering vaccines against these supposed virus(es) and then hope for the best. If they're lucky they hit it and only a few people get sick, if not, a lot of people get sick and "oh well.... we tried; it's not an exact science." In the meantime, you've been injected with a potential toxin possessing immune-stimulating capability. Is there a connection, or is it a coincidence, that the increasing number and frequency of autoimmune diseases coincides with the increased number and frequency of all kinds of vaccinations -- from the flu to mumps and chicken pox, shingles.....? The sheer guess work involved may explain why SO MANY people report getting the flu in spite of having had the shots. OR, it MAY just be a side effect of the immune system being exposed to an inadequately designed vaccine?

Many, or perhaps most, vaccinations contain a mercury-containing preservative which only serves to add to the mercury load we're all carrying around from our exposures to amalgam fillings, old glass thermometers, and tuna fish -- to name just three other common sources. Attention deficit disorder, depression, and a host of other neurological/mental troubles also seem to be growing exponentially. Mercury can do that. Why wouldn't that be a possible explanation for the increases?

So, my general recommendation is to avoid all vaccinations and immunizations unless there is a specific individual CLEAR and PRESENT danger in NOT taking them. Given the dicey proposition flu shots present, they are not worth the added potential harm to the body for the average healthy person. If you are immune-compromised in some way or prone to severe chronic illness I might be harder pressed to consider the shots. But, that's a case by case thing and the majority are not in those categories.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Are You Absorbing What You Eat?

Let's skip past what we should be eating and make the positive assumption that our diets are pristine and perfect, the way God intended for them to be. What happens then? The perfect food that we're eating is swallowed and digestion begins. How well does the food we eat get broken down and absorbed the way it should? There are a large number of factors and interesting health issues over which we have some degree of control.

First is the act of chewing. In our hurried society it is all too common for us to fall into the "stuff and gulp" game, where we barely chew food in the interest of hurriedly getting to the next appointment. Chewing does two things: it manually breaks down food into smaller pieces and saliva (containing the enzyme amylase) begins the chemical breakdown. Try this for one meal: chew each bite of food 20 times before swallowing it. This will greatly reduce the amount of work the rest of your body has to do in order to extract the nutrients from what you're eating.

Next is the stomach. The stomach is a complicated, ingenious organ. It can produce acid at a pH of less than 3, while at the same time protecting itself from dissolving along with the food eaten. As we age our stomachs produce less acid, so the chemical breakdown gets impaired leaving larger pieces of food that can't be readily absorbed farther down. Stress and exposure to various toxins and bacteria can reduce the amount of protective mucus that gets produced, reducing protection of the stomach wall. Ulcers and heartburn are just two of the common stomach conditions caused by poor acid and mucus production in the stomach.

The degree of stomach acid produced sets the tone for the rest of the functions in the digestive tract, the next one being up to the pancreas. Strongly acidic food entering the duodenum triggers the pancreas to release clouds of sodium bicarbonate and digestive enzymes. Enzymes do the bulk of the digestive work by preparing the smallest particles for absorption. Proteins are broken to amino acids, carbohydrates are broken to simple sugars, fats are broken to fatty acids. These smaller molecules can then pass through the intestinal walls into the blood stream and be utilized at the cellular level throughout the body. Enzymes can't function in an acidic environment, so the bicarbonate is crucial. If acidic food remains in duodenum it can burn the lining since there are far fewer mucus producing cells in the duodenum. If the food is not that acidic coming into the duodenum from the stomach the pancreas won't release as many enzymes and whole proteins, carbohydrates, and fats will pass through the digestive system without being absorbed.

Most of the absorption that takes place occurs in the intestines and colon. Friendly bacteria live there to help with absorption and/or to keep the pathological disease-causing bacteria in check. Different places throughout the 20 some feet of intestine absorb different nutrients.

So, in summary: You can eat a perfectly balanced, nutritionally dense meal and it can be compromised by poor digestive function. If you have digestive system symptoms it is good to get them checked out. You may not be making enough acid (about 80% of time this is true), or enough mucus, or enough digestive enzymes, or sodium bicarbonate, or have enough friendly bacteria. All of these deficiencies can be corrected through supplementation.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Breast Cancer Prevention Tips

Christina Applegate's double mastectomy approach to breast cancer was in the news today. While it is one way, I don't believe it is the only good way -- with the breast cancer gene or without! Here is my alternative list of risk reducers in no particular order:

  1. Get body fat percentage down into the mid-20% range or less. Fat cells contribute to estrogen production, which feeds many types of "estrogen-sensitive cancers."
  2. Reserve mammograms for diagnosis purposes, not for screening. Mammograms involve use of x-rays (radiation). Radiation exposure in the body is cumulative. Why expose yourself to regular doses of a known cancer initiator? Instead use non-radiation, less invasive methods to screen. I utilize Computerized Regulation Thermography (CRT). There is also conventional medical thermography, MRI's, and Ultrasound.
  3. Breast and lymphatic drainage massage: Hemp oil or phytolacca oil massages help to move toxins out of breast tissue where they can trigger DNA mutations if left to sit. Lymphatic drainage is a means of increasing circulation and activity of the immune system in eliminating potential cancer-stimulating chemicals.
  4. Reduce estrogen levels through liver work, detoxification, and use of food and herbs that block estrogen activity.
  5. Strive for 8 hours of sleep a night in a dark room. Pre-midnight sleep tends to be more effective in the restful, stress-reduction department and exposures to light at night have been implicated in increased risk for developing cancer.
  6. Wear bras that fit properly. Too tight and circulation is restricted. Too loose and they don't lend enough support.
  7. Exercise. It increases circulaton and reduces stress.
  8. Control stress, which is not always a viable option, but reducing it where one can always helps.
  9. Reduce or eliminate meat. Eating lower on the food chain results in less exposure to toxins, reduces saturated fats, and aids weight loss.
  10. Avoid sugar. Sugars and refined carbohydrates knock the immune system out of commission for up to 6 hours. This can allow randomly generated cancer cells to multiply and get too large of foothold for immune system elimination.
  11. Worry and fear are cancer's emotional friends. While it can be difficult to control these in the face of a discovered breast lump, the more a positive attitude is achieved, the stronger immunity will be.
  12. There has been a lot of discussion about breast self-exams. I believe women need to know the fluctuations and changes in their breasts through the course of a month. I believe in knowing one's breasts well, one is better able to discern when there is a problem. Self-exams are cheap, private and worth doing in my opinion.
  13. Use antioxidant supplements to help protect cells from free radicals and radiation and toxin exposures. The best source of antioxidants is through one's diet of 5-9 servings a day of fruits and vegetables made up of the widest variety of colors as you can find.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Weight Loss

Just about the entire U.S. population is either obsessed with their weight (or should be?) Hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake with tens of new diets a year, all of them claiming to work the magic of dropping pounds easily and with as little effort as possible. Here are a few of the fundamental principles that I subscribe to:

1. If a diet doesn't result in a life-long change in eating habits, it's not going to help you weight-wise in the long term. A diet doesn't fix a weight problem, a lifestyle change for healthier living does.

2. Discover what works with or for your metabolism. Individuals are unique. Different food combinations work with different types. There is no such thing as one size fits all. Also, mixing up the combinations (e.g. more carbohydrate, less protein and vice versa on another day) tends to stir up the metabolic pathways so everything doesn't settle in the hips, belly or thighs.

3. We each have a narrow food list window that is all OURS. It's usually comprised of about 20 foods. If you're unhappy with your weight, it's likely due to the wrong 20 foods for your type. Also, food sensitivities/allergies are common culprits that cause weight gain. Chances are HIGH that you are allergic to the foods you eat the most of, or for which you have the strongest cravings. Can't tell you the number of people with wheat allergies who have pounds fall off just by not eating wheat.

4. Exercise. Sad to say but plateaus are a way of life and while changing one's food intake can drop some pounds it won't do it all. Exercise is needed -- be it 20 minutes of walking or something more strenuous, like Dr. Sears' PACE program.

5. Water. Some silly "doctor" awhile back tried to float the notion that water wasn't necessary for health and that you were wasting your time to drink it. That's a hoot. A human body is 80% water and thrives on an exchange of those fluids. The movement of water into and out of the body is one of the principle ways the body flushes toxins and keeps you from going stagnant and turning into a walking cesspool. So drink up! 6-10 glasses a day, or a third of your body weight in fluid ounces every day.

6. I'm a subscriber to the Ori Hofmekler way of thinking when it comes to the timing of food intake. It's a radically different program than most of the diet programs out there. Basically it reserves dinner (evening) for the largest meal of the day with a carefully planned nutritionally dense light (almost fasting) way of eating during the day. You can search for his books: The Warrior Diet and The Anti-Estrogenic Diet if you want greater details.

7. Elimination of sugar from the planet would single-handedly be the best help to the health of the human race. It would stop the diabetes epidemic. It would massively help weight management. It would reduce cancer. It would reduce infections and illness. Nobody needs it -- period. The fact that so many think they'll die without it is a testimony to the effectiveness of the food manufacturers brainwashing, advertising, and stupid recipes; and a human body's propensity for addiction.