a
guaranteed solution for the control of Candida. 
Product Profile - Milk Thistle - Friend of the Liver
Taking Charge of Your Health Care.
Exercise, a Benefit to the Immune System and to Your Overall Health.
Massage, A Rare Healing Therapy That is Also a Pleasure to Receive
Your Garden, Are Pests Encouraging Us to Sabotage Our Own Health?
Book Review “7-Day Detox Miracle” Peter Bennett, N.D., Stephen Barrie, N.D.
Recipe Veggie Stir fry
to the first edition of the newsletter sponsored by Flora
Balance.com. Our mission at Flora Balance.com is to provide you, our
customers, information that will enable you to make more informed decisions
about your health. You are encouraged to comment or share information you
have gained by replying to us at news@flora-balance.com
. Although this newsletter is not written by medical professionals, all
articles are researched and include references you can access yourself.
You are encouraged to take what you have learned here, question it, and
find out more. 
Weil suggests we could all benefit from milk thistle, and that it can
be taken indefinitely. Jonn Matsen, N.D., in his book "Eating Alive"
describes how important it is to have a healthy liver. He explains the
liver performs approximately 500 different functions. Traditional medicine
only checks the liver for tissue damage, however lack of damage does not
necessarily indicate a healthy liver.
He explains the liver performs approximately 500 different functions.
Traditional medicine only checks the liver for tissue damage, however
lack of damage does not necessarily indicate a healthy liver. The liver
works as a filter for the blood. Good and bad flora, including Candida,
enters the liver through the portal vein with the blood supply along with
nutrients, toxins, fats, and sugars. The liver removes toxins and free
radicals, regulates hormones, helps the pancreas with regulating sugar,
regulates fats, and proteins. Toxins can include chemotherapies, coffee,
nicotine, alcohol, drugs, pesticides, additives, tea, chocolate and the
results of stress. If the liver is overloaded not only does it not function
completely, but toxins build up and we develop symptoms of disease. You
may have sugar cravings, be moody, have dark blue bags under your eyes,
have varicose veins, hemorrhoids, PMS, wasting of muscle, hypoglycemia,
heart attack or stroke.
A regular regime of milk thistle can assist with liver health. Again,
it is the only substance found that can regenerate cells and provide support
for the greatest intestinal cleanser we have. As your liver becomes healthier,
so will you as those toxins leave your body, the symptoms decrease, and
you become a happier person with more vitality. Milk thistle can be found
at your local health food store. It is important to get a brand that offers
a standardized product.
1 References available.
Why would you want to ingest the seeds from this spiny plant? Andrew Weil, MD, in "Spontaneous Healing", describes milk thistle as being the only non-toxic product available that supports the liver and encourages cell regeneration. PubMed (previously Medline) has numerous reports of studies on silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle. The focus has been on treating Hepatitis C and cirrhosis. Some of the studies on PubMed found silymarin very successful, others without clear results. None of the studies found milk thistle to be harmful. In fact, Rob McCaleb in his article for "Better Nutrition for Today's Living" (March 1993) states Europeans have been taking milk thistle as an approved medicine for many years. Extensive studies conducted there proved the supplement was indeed helpful for many reasons.
Weil suggests we could all benefit from milk thistle, and that it can be taken indefinitely. Jonn Matsen, N.D., in his book "Eating Alive" describes how important it is to have a healthy liver. He explains the liver performs approximately 500 different functions. Traditional medicine only checks the liver for tissue damage, however lack of damage does not necessarily indicate a healthy liver.
of your body and health, it is your responsibility to become educated
about yourself and the health care options that are available to you.
More and more, you are considered part of the health care team. You are
a part of the process. We have been conditioned to take what our doctors
say as gospel and to not question the information, the therapy, or the
overall direction your practitioner is taking you. For many of us, we
have had enough bad experiences to feel uncomfortable with this format.
HMO's and medical schools are beginning to recognize that a well informed
consumer who practices preventative medicine are making a valuable contribution
to their own health as well as reducing healthcare costs.
The University of Michigan Health System recommends you be aware of the
parameters your insurance has set so you do not find yourself in a financial
dilemma. It is your responsibility to understand clearly what is covered,
what is not, and how to get the care you need, or may need, based on your
insurance plan. Health Scope points out it is the responsibility of your
health plan to answer your questions, pay for preventative care screenings,
and sponsor programs that will provide health improvement. The only way
to ensure insurance companies follow through is for the consumer to force
the issue and make our needs known.
|
|
In order to achieve your healthcare expectations, interview your prospective doctor. Find one that fits for you. Ask questions about their beliefs regarding traditional and alternative therapies. Do they subscribe to prevention, or as Robbins suggests, disease management? You should be able to take in a list of questions to your physician with the expectation they will be answered, or be directed to where you could find the answer.
Be as organized and proactive as possible. Keep your records current. One mother used to keep her son's medical history in her day planner so she could use it as reference in meetings about him and it was an easy place to keep a log of shots, visits, and comments by the physician. Employment First from the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension offers a nice check list of items to help you stay healthy and prepared for emergencies, and routine check-ups.
2 Sources available.
It is estimated that as much as 80% of the immune system resides in
the digestive system. The function of the immune system is to protect
you from attack from viruses, bacteria and other "foreign"
bodies wanting to inhabit your body. Exercise can be a key in keeping
your lymph and immune system in good shape, just as it does your muscles.
It keeps blood and lymphatic fluid circulating which helps eliminate
waste. Fat reserves are a primary store house of toxins. Exercise reduces
this fat reserve, thus reducing the potential of your body to store
toxins.
The immune system usually deteriorates with age, causing elderly people
to develop various serious, life-threatening illness. Moderate exercise
been has shown to keep the immune system "young". A study
at Johns Hopkins Medical Center of 25 men with coronary disease found
that exercise benefited their immune system. Sedentary women who took
up walking 45 minutes a day had 40% to 50% fewer days of symptoms than
did similar women who remained sedentary.
The key appears to be moderation and choosing an exercise that you enjoy.
Walking seems to be the exercise of choice. A fast paced outing three
times a week can assist in keeping your internal system functioning at
its best, including your bowel, kidneys, removing toxins and allowing
your immune system to function at its best.
Too much exercise, on the other hand, can stress the immune system. Studies
on Olympic athletes have shown, in some cases, significant decline in
the effectiveness of the immune system which can lead to frequent injury
and illness, sometimes preventing competition.
A contributing factor to diabetes is an increase in insulin resistance
which commonly occurs in all individuals as they age. Regular, sustained,
moderate increases in physical activity, such as daily walking, can substantially
decrease insulin resistance thus reducing your risk of developing diabetes.
In addition people who exercise also receive the following benefits:
3 Sources available
Massage can open internal systems making our body function more efficiently,
allowing us to enjoy greater overall health. Holistic Online reports that
a group of dental students at the university of Medicine and Dentistry,
New Jersey experienced massage before every exam. Not only did they do
well on the test, they reported an increase in white blood cell counts
and natural killer cell activity, suggesting an improvement of the immune
system.
Today, massage includes many modalities. The more common techniques include
Swedish, Deep Tissue, CranioSacral, Lymphatic Drainage and Myofascial
but there are literally hundreds of other techniques available
|
4 Sources available
Massage isn't just about the working of the muscles. Massage can be beneficial for the following medical conditions:
One major outdoor problem is that 24 out of 25 of the most common pests,
including fleas, have become problems because we have eliminated their
natural predators. When we resort to pesticides to control these pests,
we risk serious health consequences for ourselves, our children and
our pets and also exacerbate the problem by destroying the natural predators
to the pest we want to eliminate. Children, like our pets, use lawns
as part of their play time. They get the pesticide residue on their
hands and feet, which can end up in mouths and ultimately being ingested.
The Children's Health Environment Coalition outlines an Integrated Pest Management System, or IPM, that in many cases does not require the use of pesticides. You begin with the most organic solution to the problem, gradually working up to a more chemically based solution as necessary. Usually it doesn't get that far. It takes a little more effort to go organic in the beginning, but in the end, it benefits all of us, and our planet.
5 Sources available
Book Review “7-Day Detox Miracle” Peter Bennett, N.D., Stephen Barrie, N.D.
This book is both an excellent reference on how our body eliminates toxins and a guide to a simple and very effective detoxification program that the authors have developed and refined over many years. The authors Bennett & Barrie are both Naturopaths with extensive experience in healing via detoxification. Dr. Barrie is also the founder of the Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory.
As a reference, there is an excellent discussion of the many detoxification functions of the liver and how to augment these functions through intelligent supplementation. There is good information on using laboratory testing in your detoxification program and an excellent chapter on the relationship between various toxins and related health disorders.
The program is simple and clearly presented. It offers practical advice on how to apply the following six steps to detoxification:
- Remove the obstacles to health
- Improve circulation
- Enhance circulation
- Repair the gastrointestinal system
- Stimulate the liver
- Transform stress
I liked this quote from chapter one “Once you understand that your body is designed to regulate and repair itself, you’ll be ready to look at health care in a new way” and believe that the authors succeed in convincingly presenting this new (for our culture) paradigm.
Veggie Stir fry
½ onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
½ head cauliflower, chopped
½ head broccoli, chopped
1 carrot, pared into curls
1 green pepper, chopped or thin sliced
2 cups snow peas
1-2 cups mushrooms sliced (optional)
dash low sodium soy sauce
dash fresh ginger grated
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons of oil
Wash and prepare all vegetables. Heat oil in skillet. Sautee onions, garlic, celery, cauliflower, broccoli and green pepper. When still crisp, add carrot curls, snow peas, mushrooms, soy sauce and ginger. Continue to cook until all vegetables are crisp cooked. Serve at once.
“From Candida, The Symptoms, The Causes, The Cure” by Dr. Luc DeShepper