For Neck Pain, Chiropractic and Exercise Are Better Than Drugs

Forgiveness and Your Health

When the winter solstice comes along; (Thursday the 22nd) and the days start getting longer, I often see it as a time to clean up from the past year. I look at what I need to forgive; this includes myself, as well as others. 

Holding grudges keeps your life force energy bound up in the past.  It affects your health in many negative ways, and can be the root of a disease process. This is one of the most obvious reasons to forgive: for your health and happiness. 

Forgiving is not the same as forgetting. Forgiving is letting go of bitterness and resentment, and changing your relationship to what happened. By changing how you carry and connect with what disturbed you, you are able to move on with your energy and reclaim your life force. Forgiveness is not rooted in making the person who judged, abused, or hurt you change.  Forgiveness is acknowledging the pain and suffering you feel. Wouldn’t you like to have all of the energy that is meant to for your body be there to support your cellular function? Sometimes forgiving needs to be done on a regular basis to train our mind to not get stuck on the resentment or bitterness “radio station”.

Resentments are literally held in the tissue: the spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental body.   In the long haul grudges end up hurting the people who harbor them. 

Here are some quotes from Carolyn Myss to inspire you:

“When we harbor negative emotions toward others or toward ourselves,
or when we intentionally create pain for others,
we poison our own physical and spiritual systems.
By far the strongest poison to the human spirit
is the inability to forgive oneself or another person.
It disables a person’s emotional resources.
The challenge is to refine our capacity to love others as well as ourselves
and to develop the power of forgiveness.” 

“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself.
The challenge is to silence the mind.”
~ Caroline Myss ~

Here is what I do to forgive myself and others:

• When the difficult memories or thoughts come up I create space by putting them on a faraway planet, or across the earth in my mind’s eye. I do this each time I remember the situation, until it is less charged. Depending on the memory this can take years for some people. It is a mindfulness practice.
• I realize that I cannot change the situation, but I can detach, and not be so affected by others actions, and if I cannot do this I try to figure out what will help me detach. 
• Sometimes it is scary to detach, because of fear of abandonment; this can happen with our family. Remember that there will be support from places beyond what you know that will come into fruition. We may not get support from where we expect it, yet we should be open to having it from many places. 
• I sometimes ask forces larger than myself to take care of the pain, and ask for help
• I look at the person who hurt me in a compassionate way and wonder what happened to them to make them act the way they did…usually they have unresolved traumas…
• I acknowledge the pain when it arises and let it blow through me like a wind, and pass
• I try not to talk about it when it is a “fresh” incident over and over again, this can deepen the trauma “groove literally in our brain, and change our neuroplasticity to orient towards victimhood.
• Most of all… I forgive myself for getting hurt, and know that most people would be affected by the actions that happened, and appreciate the blessing of being a sensitive, awake person.
• Lastly… I think of resources for me: dogs, trees, the ocean, chocolate, and those who love me… and remember all the wonderful love that I have in my life.

Staying on Your Beam

So how do we know we are off of our beam? Here are a few of the signs:

• We experience…anger
• loneliness
• fatigue
• sadness
• having trouble focusing
• not being interested in others feelings or connecting with those we love
• looking  for conflict rather than resolution with others
• feeling bad, even when nothing bad is happening
• being harsh and judgmental of others
• basing our outlook on life from a place of fear rather than love
• not asking for help and support when we need it
• choosing to focus on the pain rather than the joy
• seeing things as black and white rather than gray
• not being able to  apologize and repair when we hurt others
• feeling like a victim
• being in a state of constant overwhelm

Here is how we differentiate from our pain, and get back on our beam:

The most important aspect to stay on our beam is to create quiet in our lives every day to say “hi” to ourselves…so we can notice if we are on our beam. Noticing when we are off of our beam is a huge part of regaining balance.  Ask what do I need right now to feel settled and calm? Space, food, sleep, a hug, see Dr. Kate????

What brings up my mood and energy? Exercise? Eating better fuel for me? Supplements?, Music? Dancing? Friends? Nature?

What can I say to myself to soothe what is happening? What do I need to acknowledge before I let go of what is difficult?

Write a list of resources (things that comfort you and lift you up)

What is the tape that is playing out, and how can I change stations like a radio to a more healthy station?

What am I supposed to learn from this: pain, difficulty, suffering…etc

Here is my resource list as an example:

• being outside
• calling a friend
• listening to music
• dancing
• dogs
• making art
• hugs from loved ones
• watching silly movies
• chocolate
• bodywork: craniosacral, acupuncture, chiropractic care…
• silly jokes,  stories, and goofy friends
• etc…

Often what is needed is a very simple to stay on our beam. Humans can make it much more complicated than it needs to be to stay resourced. Creating space is probably the largest resource you can use. Space for yourself to rest, eat, slow down, and get a break from toxic situations. Keep it simple. One of my favorite ways to stay on my beam is with some form of body work. I guess that is why I chose the profession I am in…so I can stay on my beam and I know how to quickly hop back on, and support others in this!!! Chiropractic care works with the beam on a literal level, by allowing energy to move through your bones more freely when they are in good alignment and motion, energy moves more readily. Craniosacral supports patient’s to be on their beam energetically by magnifying and strengthening their midline, and whole energy field. I find it rather interesting that I was drawn to do my work by focusing on the spine, and having a need to work with my hands. This is the literal and energetic manifestation of our beam. It is not so much about the spine being straight, as it is about the spine expressing its full range of motion between joints and the bones themselves breathing. As the great cranial Osteopath Dr. Becker said: “Life is Motion”… So take some time this winter to stay on your beam by keeping things alive, and flowing. 

 

Organic wheat is wheat with lipstick and still poison

Dr. William Davis, a preventative cardiologist states:

“Wheat is not the same as it was 50 years ago. It is 2 ½ feet shorter. The stockier plant can support a much heavier seed bed, and it grows much faster.  It is not genetically modified; when a plant is genetically modified a gene is inserted or deleted. What has been done, is that the plant has been hybridized and crossbred to make it resistant to drought, fungi; and vastly increase the yield per acre.  Agricultural geneticists have shown that wheat proteins undergo structural change with hybridization, and that the hybrid contains proteins that are found in neither parent plant.  Thousands of “Frankengrains” have been created over the past 50 years, using extreme techniques, and their safety for human consumption has never been tested or questioned. 

These extreme techniques include: generating new strains that involve processes such as:  gamma irradiation, and using toxins such as azide (which is a deadly poison).  You cannot avoid these strains by only eating organic whole wheat. This is because the organic plant is the same as the non-organic plants.  It’s almost as if we’ve put lipstick on this thing and called it organic and therefore good. The truth is that it is hardly any better at all.

There is no question that whole wheat flour is better than white flour. However, that is like saying filtered cigarettes are better than non-filtered cigarettes. Taking something bad and replacing it with something less bad is still not good.  Wheat makes us fat because it contains amylopectin A which is more efficiently converted to blood sugar than any other carbohydrate including table sugar.  Two slices of whole wheat bread increase blood sugar to a higher level than a candy bar does!  This spikes our insulin levels, and creates inflammation all over the body. Then your blood sugar dramatically drops in about 2 hours and you feel shaky, your brain is foggy, and you are starving. Then you reach for more
carbohydrates. This cycle repeats itself throughout the day.  If you eliminate wheat from your diet, you are no longer hungry between meals, you have stopped the insulin spiking cycle,  have cut out the appetite stimulant, and you lose weight very quickly.  I have seen this with thousands of patients.

Wheat can trigger effects that you do not perceive. Small LDL (low density lipoportein) particles form when you’re eating lots of carbohydrates, and they are responsible for atherosclerotic plaquing, this in turn triggers heart disease and stroke. Even if you are a slender, vigorous, healthy  person you are still triggering the formation of small LDL particles. Carbohydrates increase your blood sugar, which causes a process called glycation. This is the glucose modification of proteins. If I glycate the proteins in my eyes, I get cataracts.  If I glycate the cartilage in my knees and hips I get arthritis. If I glycate the small LDL, I’m prone to atherosclerosis. By eating fair trade organically grown whole wheat bread that sounds so healthy you are repeatedly triggering high blood sugar and will wind up with more visceral fat. This is not just what I call the wheat belly/muffin top that is flopping up over the belt, it is also the fat around your internal organs. As visceral fat accumulates, your risk increases with diabetes, and heart disease. 

Wheat is addictive: National Institutes of Health researchers showed that gluten derived polypeptides can cross the blood brain barrier and bind to  opiate receptors in the brain. The new hybridized wheat has a much higher level of gluten in it than its original form. When you eat wheat you get a mild euphoria because of this. People can experience some difficult withdrawal symptoms for about 5 days when getting off wheat.  Once you overcome the addiction to wheat your cravings subside, your calorie intake decreases, and your alertness and overall health improve. 

NIH research shows that wheat stimulates appetite. It is no wonder that Americans are becoming fat from eating wheat.
Solutions to this would be to go back to using the heritage forms of wheat before they were hybridized, and restore it to its original organic form. For now just not eating wheat whether you are gluten sensitive or not.”

What the heck is muscle testing anyway?

Well, I am going to have to talk about quantum Physics to explain it. First let me define the linear and non-linear domains. A linear domain in science is something that has a cause and effect.  It is provable or not provable. Math, science and reasoning are in the linear domain.
The non-linear domain is things that are not provable through regular science.  Some things need to just be experienced. Like love for instance.  This domain is about the subjective experience. Quantum physics is now showing us that everything is now connected to everything. Linear science domain tries to break everything down into little particles and pieces. It tries to prove what works and what does not work. Sometimes the linear approach is appropriate and sometimes it is not.

For example when I am diagnosing an injury of the spine it is important to do range of motion tests, and orthopedic tests for diagnosis and treatment planning.  This is when the linear domain is appropriate. 

What do these linear and non-linear domains have to do with muscle testing?  Sometimes when I muscle test I am testing the linear domain and other times the non-linear domain.  The domain that I am testing depends on the questions I ask.  This is called the Heisenberg principle.  The Heisenberg principle states that the observer becomes part of the experiment.  Whatever the tester’s intention is when they ask the question has to do with the outcome and results they get. 

For example: measuring temperature is a linear domain: it is 50 degrees outside. The non-linear domain is your experience of the temperature: it is chilly, or it is a comfortable temperature depending on your personal experience.  It is a subjective experience.  Muscle testing takes the unknown and narrows it to a probability, and then to a possibility.  That is why it is important for the tester to have an understanding of what they are doing.  Clinical research has shown that muscle testing accurately diagnoses health issues.  For example I saw a patient that had a fever.  She said she thought she had the flu. I muscle tested her meridian system.  What showed was her gallbladder reflex was imbalanced. Her viral reflex was normal, (she did not have the flu).  I told her to go to the emergency room and get medically tested for her gallbladder.  Sure enough it was inflamed, and she had it surgically removed a week later.  This is why I use muscle testing. If she had stayed home thinking she had the flu, who knows what would have happened…

You can’t have your cake and eat it too, but you can juice and feel better!

Do you have an extra chunk of weight that you just can’t seem to lose?

Vegetable Juicing is one of the easiest ways to boost your health, and lose weight. Let’s face it most of America is fat; we have an obesity rate of 70%!  Two studies have shown that people who drank 2 glasses of vegetable juice a day lost four times the weight than those who did not.  In one of the studies the majority of the people had insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Combining a low glycemic diet with vegetable juicing, and regular exercise, offers the best results for weight loss and health.  Vegetable juicing of  dark green leafy vegetables helps overcome cravings to foods we are sensitive too including  sugar.  Juicing combats fatigue, detoxifies your organs, kills systemic yeast /candida issues, heals fibromyalgia, and strengthens the immune system. Why not start with replacing that mid-day coffee with a vibrant fresh juice? You will get more bang for your buck!

Generally most people start feeling better after 3 weeks of daily juicing, and especially good after three months. Why three months?  Because every three months you make a new set of red blood cells. That means your body has had a chance to clean up your blood with the antioxidant support of the juices. Plants have chlorophyll which is very structurally similar to hemin the protein portion of hemoglobin from our blood that carries oxygen. The primary difference is that chlorophyll is bound by a magnesium atom, while hemin is bound by an iron atom. Studies show that somehow the body is able to substitute iron and rebuild the blood with the chlorophyll.  Juicing is so good for our blood because it supports oxygenation of our tissues, via the blood.

Cancer cells do not thrive in an oxygen rich environment because cancer cells are anaerobic cells.  This means that they thrive without oxygen.  Juicing also makes the body more alkaline which in the alkaline diet has shown to lower rates of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Studies have also shown that chlorophyll also protects cells from low level radiation exposure from hospital equipment, televisions, cell phones, computer screens, and microwaves.

Should you replace eating vegetables with juicing? Absolutely not. It is best to juice in addition to your 5 servings of vegetables per day.  Juicing is a vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant cocktail that feeds your blood and all of the energy making centers in all of your cells. These energy factories in our cells are called mitochondria. When you juice it is similar to throwing tennis balls at a chain link fence versus marbles. The marbles go through the chain links, while the tennis balls don’t. Like the marbles getting through the chain link fence: juicing makes it easier for all of these wonderful nutrients to get to our cells.

Unlike supplements juicing provides all of the different cofactors to help your biochemistry along so that the body is operating at its maximal health. Nature provided all of these vegetables that have healing properties and work best in their raw, whole form. It is always best to eat a whole food that is naturally found in nature before supplementation is utilized.  First food changes, then supplementation. You will need less supplementation this way. Sometimes we need the supplements due to environmental and genetic factors that we cannot overcome with diet alone.

JUST DO IT!!! YOU WON’T REGRET IT: START JUICING TODAY!!!

Here are the steps to start your juice program for better health, weight loss, and more energy!

Get a good juicer that is:

1. easy to use
2. easy to clean
3. is affordable
4. has the highest extraction of the vegetables being juiced

Note: the Vitamix is not the same as a juicer; it is good only if you are using it to mix non- hard/root veggies. It can literally cook the veggies while chopping them up and the heat destroys the valuable enzymes. Also to use this as a juicer is sometimes literally hard to swallow down, I tried it and I am fairly hardy and could not get the juice down the hatch without wretching.

I would recommend the Omega VRT 350 HD because the most important type of juice is green leafy vegetables; this is the best juicer for that.  Centrifugal juicers are better for hard vegetables such as carrots. Go to discountjuicers.com, there is a lot of info there, as well as my YouTube channel: drkateklemer

• Get a recipe that you can drink without gagging!
• A bunch of greens leafy vegetables: collards, Swiss chard, parsley, kale, etc…
• add celery and cucumber to make it more palatable
• add ginger for an anti-nflamatory effect
• to help the taste if it is too harsh you can add 1-2 carrots, a granny smith apple, and/or a lemon or lime
• you can also add vanilla flavored stevia, a few drops will have a large effect on the taste without elevating the sugar
  
• Do not add any fruits other than lemons, limes, or granny smith apples to keep the glycemic index low so that your blood sugar will not spike.
• When shopping for veggies…
• First choice should be the freshest looking vegetable (droopy veggies are not good, for instance old celery is toxic.)
• the next most important choice is organic over conventional veggies
• use low glycemic indexed veggies that are below “55” (Google these)
• avoid the “dirty dozen” pesticide ridden veggies ( you can Google that list)
• commercially made juices that are not fresh can be toxic for being too old (the aged juice turns to methanol which crosses the blood brain barrier and turns into formaldehyde); so do not think of drinking an odwalla juice as the same as juicing yourself, or buying juice that is freshly made from a place like organic avenue or liquiteria
• for those who are protein metabolic dietary types (see the test on my website: (www.drkateklemer.com)  who are concerned about juicing being to sugary… here is the trick: you need more good fat than the a mixed or vegetarian dietary type, so add 2 tablespoons of virgin organic coconut oil to your juice. This will stabilize your blood sugar, keep you satiated longer, and is anti-yeast and fungal as well.
• If you are trying to lose weight drink a minimum of 16 oz. of juice per day, you can drink up to a quart if you want, just bear in mind to gradually build up to that slowly as green juices are strong detoxifiers.
• if you make up a batch for the day:  drink in the morning and then another glass later, refrigerate it as soon as you can after it is made,  and put it in a glass or stainless steel container. You must drink it within 12 hours.
• go to the juice lady’s Cherie Calbom for much more information: http://www.juiceladyinfo.com 

Good luck in your juicing adventure. Feel free to share recipes and I will post them on my website!

ARE YOU A SENSITIVE SUZIE?

Are you a “highly sensitive person”?  I am, and that is what makes me good at my profession.

I often see patients that are also highly sensitive. We make up about 20% of the population. Our nervous systems are different than 80% of the population.  We know when things are not right and we sense it non-verbally.  We often know what the intent is underneath what is being said.  It is not an easy medicine to carry, but when used as a tool is very useful.

Elaine Aron, PhD has done a lot of research on highly sensitive people, and wrote a book called: The Highly Sensitive Person.  Thankfully, she has re-framed us from a liability to an asset. We add a lot to the well-being of this planet.  Research was done cross culturally on children in China and Canada. The research showed that in North American culture this trait is not considered an asset, while in China it is a celebrated trait in a child.   Without highly sensitive people things would falter. Here is why:  we are better at spotting errors, are highly conscientious, can concentrate deeply, and are very good at tasks requiring vigilance, accuracy, speed, and detection of minor differences. We often think about our own thinking, are able to learn without being aware that we have learned, and are deeply affected by other people’s moods and emotions.  We are not quick to act without reason and judge others.

Our planet is primarily under the control of insensitive people.  Sensitive people are of great value because we pick up on things before they get beyond repair, and see the implications of actions before they happen.  We have emotional intelligence.  It has been speculated that Abraham Lincoln was a highly sensitive person. For aggressive societies to survive they need highly sensitive people to advise them. Highly sensitive people often land in professions as healers, counselors, historians, teachers, scholars, priest’s, rabbis, spiritual leaders, musicians, dancers, Pilates instructors, yoga instructors, and artists.   I am sure that Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, and Dr. Helen Caldicott (started physicians for social responsibility and is big in the anti-nuclear movement) are as well.

Highly sensitive people are not popular by any means because the other 80% of the population does not know what it is like to live in our skin.  Regular people have different wiring.  They do not have as great a sense of how their actions and thoughts affect others. Mostly they think about themselves, and how it relates to them.  This stinking thinking can cause a lot of devastation to animals, people, and ultimately the planet.  This is why I am urging “highly sensitive” people to come out and live your life where your talent can be magnified positively. Just as I mentioned before it is like having pale skin that burns more easily, why judge a person for that? It is no different.

Sensitivity is not a flaw. Many highly sensitive people are unusually creative and productive workers, attentive and thoughtful partners, and intellectually gifted individuals.    

If you find you are highly sensitive, or your child is, you need to begin by knowing the following:                       

• Your trait is normal. It is found in 15 to 20% of the population–too many to be a disorder, but not enough to be well understood by the majority of those around you.
• It is innate. In fact, biologists have found it to be in most or all animals, from fruit flies and fish to dogs, cats, horses, and primates. This trait reflects a certain type of survival strategy, being observant before acting. The brains of highly sensitive persons (HSPs) actually work a little differently than others.
• You are more aware than others of subtleties. This is mainly because your brain processes information and reflects on it more deeply. So even if you wear glasses, for example, you see more than others by noticing more.
• You are also more easily overwhelmed. If you notice everything, you are naturally going to be overstimulated when things are too intense, complex, or chaotic.
• This trait is not a new discovery, but it has been misunderstood. Because HSPs prefer to look before entering new situations, they are often called “shy.” But shyness is learned, not innate. In fact, 30% of HSPs are extraverts, although the trait is often mislabeled as introversion.
• Sensitivity is valued differently in different cultures. In cultures where it is not valued, HSPs tend to have low self-esteem. They are told “don’t be so sensitive” so that they feel abnormal.                   

See if you have characteristics of highly sensitive person:

	I am easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input.
	I seem to be aware of subtleties in my environment.
	Other people’s moods affect me.
	I tend to be very sensitive to pain.
	I find myself needing to withdraw during busy days into bed or into a darkened room or any place where I can have some privacy and relief from stimulation.
	I am particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
	I am easily overwhelmed by things like bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens close by.
	I have a rich, complex inner life.
	I am made uncomfortable by loud noises.
	I am deeply moved by the arts or music.
	My nervous system sometimes feels so frazzled that I just have to go off by myself.
	I am conscientious.
	I startle easily.
	I get rattled when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time.
	When people are uncomfortable in a physical environment I tend to know what needs to be done to make it more comfortable (like changing the lighting or the seating).
	I am annoyed when people try to get me to do too many things at once.
	I try hard to avoid making mistakes or forgetting things.
	I make a point to avoid violent movies and TV shows.
	I become unpleasantly aroused when a lot is going on around me.
	Being very hungry creates a strong reaction in me, disrupting my concentration or mood.
	Changes in my life shake me up.
	I notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, and works of art.
	I find it unpleasant to have a lot going on at once.
	I make it a high priority to arrange my life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations.
	I am bothered by intense stimuli, like loud noises or chaotic scenes.
	When I must compete or be observed while performing a task, I become so nervous or shaky that I do much worse than I would otherwise.
	When I was a child, my parents or teachers seemed to see me as sensitive or shy.
	Total: if you have answered yes to 12 or more you are probably a highly sensitive person.

Many of my patients that understand my work are highly sensitive people beating themselves up for living in a highly insensitive world.

Craniosacral therapy, mind-body techniques, and nutrition bring greater awareness and trust to oneself.  These modalities help highly sensitive people whose nervous systems are wired differently learn to navigate living in these times with that special wiring.

 Most people that are not highly sensitive do not have a kinesthetic understanding of craniosacral therapy, even though they benefit greatly from treatments.  That is because they have a different kind of nervous system that does well being a linebacker in football, a boxer, an accountant, or an army general. These are poor profession choices for highly sensitive people!

We all keep each other in balance in this world and I wanted to speak up for 20% of the population whose voices are an important part of ensuring the survival of this planet.  Especially since mother earth has been trying to let us know that how we are living with this planet is having a detrimental effect on our planet. We just had an earthquake and a hurricane in one weeks time!  

When you know who you are you are in your power, being a highly sensitive person is a gift.

My Birthday

For my birthday this week I am writing about choosing to be present even when it is not easy. I don’t mean literally; I mean being as mindful  as I can each  moment. My weekend was filled with difficult tasks like signing power of attorney, and health care proxy  documents for my parents with dementia. I learned a lot and did the tasks with presence. Especially since I feel things deeply, it is not always easy to be mindful/present.  I cried, I laughed, and got frustrated. I shared my feelings with those who could support me. I stayed aware of what was happening for me; observing the emotions as they passed through. Most of them were quite familiar emotions. This is one of the gifts of turning 48. I was proud of myself for walking through these difficult tasks  with presence. I have grown a lot from what I have been through. I have made lemonade out of lemons for sure. All of my closest friends have done that. I love my lemon to lemonade  comrades!

I am very grateful for my family and friends. They are  good people, with good hearts, doing the best that they can.  

All the while, discussing my parents aging, deterioration,  and death I was “OK”. I surfed  the line of going into a trauma trance, and  it was not easy. I did this by doing the difficult tasks and interspersing them with fun activities. The fun activities involved being with what I call “my peeps”.  These are people who love me just as I am. If I am crying, frustrated, tired, or crabby…they still see what my core is underneath the suffering. They said such encouraging words as: “ you did a good job, your mother would not have made it through another winter like that in Ashfield, and if it wasn’t for you she would still be there living on the “milk diet”.  I began to remember who I am as they said that to me with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t easy, I just walked through it without zoning out on television, doing drugs, drinking, or eating large amounts of sugar. Not that those coping mechanisms are so bad, but they are taxing on  a sensitive person like myself.  I held my midline, and stayed present…and observed myself. I got hugs from people who understood the suffering I was experiencing. They  did not make it all about them, or get triggered by my suffering. They let me just be, giving me space to be where I was, not trying to fix it. I am the luckiest one to have these people in my life.  Being present during these times with my parents is not easy, but it certainly is rich. It made me so happy to see my Mom on Sunday, she was her old self, in a very happy mood. I will make a point to remember her that way on those days when the Alzheimer’s  is winning.  Underneath the Alzheimer’s is a woman who is my mother: a genius, a loving person, a generous person, and a silly person who loves to sing and dance! That’s my Mom!

So no matter what…  try to look beyond the crap of those you love who sometimes project their trauma onto  you; hold  who they are underneath those crusty layers. Do this without being their doormat. You would not look so good flat on the floor with footprints on you. People that can share this way of being by  holding my core beneath “my crust” ; I consider my “peeps”.

WHOLE GRAINS MAY NOT BE SO GOOD FOR YOU

Most people believe that grains are a wholesome part of a healthy diet, particularly whole grains, such as whole wheat. There’s a large body of evidence indicating that whole grains, (yes even organic), can contribute to significant health problems—both physical and mental. When you begin to review the evidence stacked up against whole grains, it becomes clear that our reliance on wheat and other grains may be one of the primary culprits for the poor health of so many.

The Side Effects of Wheat Consumption—It’s Not Just about Celiac Disease, its about sensitivity…

The primary  mechanism  is chronic inflammation, and chronic inflammatory and degenerative conditions are endemic to grain-consuming populations.  However, other rampant health issues related to wheat  include depression, ADD/ADHD, and Alzheimer’s disease, just to name a few.

The Toxic Effects of Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA)

Wheat contains high amounts of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA); a glycoprotein classified as a lectin, which is largely responsible for many of wheat’s ill effects. Other grains high in lectins include rice, spelt, and rye.

Interestingly enough, the highest amounts of WGA is found in whole wheat, including its sprouted form, which is touted as being the most healthful form of all…  Aside from high amounts of WGA, wheat also contains a number of other potentially health-harming components, including:

1. Gliadin (an alcohol soluble protein component)
2. Gliadomorpin (exorphins, or group of opioid peptides that form during digestion of the gluten protein)
3. Enzyme inhibitors

The traditional ways of addressing many of these anti-nutrients is by sprouting, fermenting and cooking. However, lectins are designed to withstand degradation through a wide range of pH and temperatures. WGA lectin is particularly tough because it’s actually formed by the same disulfide bonds that give strength and resilience to vulcanized rubber and human hair.

Furthermore, because lectins are so small, and hard to digest, they tend to bioaccumulate in your body, where they can interfere with biological processes. WGA is particularly troublesome in this regard. Studies indicate it has a number of health-harming characteristics and activities:

1. pro-inflamatory
2. toxic to your immune system and are linked to autoimmunity
3. toxic to nervous system and cross the blood brain barrier
4. toxic to cells
5. disrupts endocrine function such as: thyroid, adrenal, and pancreas
6. toxic to the heart
7. damaging to intestinal wall disturbing absorption and protective layers 

The Gut-Brain Connection

Most people fail to realize that your gut is quite literally your second brain, and actually has the ability to significantly influence your:

1. Mind
2. Mood
3. Behavior

As you can see from the listing of toxic influences above, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) can damage both your gut and your brain in various ways. But damage to your gut can also, by virtue of the gut-brain connection, alter your mind, mood and behavior all by itself… Anxiety and depression are actually part of the signs and symptoms of celiac disease Your gut and your brain are actually created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. This is what connects your two brains together, and explains why we get “butterflies in our stomachs  when you’re nervous.

Your gut and brain work in tandem, each influencing the other. This is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa. As a result, it should be obvious that your diet is closely linked to your mental health. Furthermore, it’s requires almost no stretch of the imagination to see how improper nutrition can have an adverse effect on your mood and subsequently your behavior.

Wheat and your mood:

One mechanism that can help explain the mysterious connection between wheat and mental health problems is the fact that wheat inhibits production of serotonin.

Neurotransmitters like serotonin can be found not just in your brain, but also in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain!

Therefore, it actually makes perfect sense to nourish your gut flora with probiotic foods and supplements to maintain optimal serotonin function, as it can have a profound impact on your mood, psychological health, and behavior. Beneficial  gut bacteria is closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior!

Gastrointestinal diseases like celiac disease, along with wheat allergies, obesity, and diabetes;  may also contribute to deteriorating mental health, as well as neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.   

Aside from that, ALL types of grains clearly contribute to insulin and leptin resistance, which are the primary underlying causes for most, if not all, chronic diseases—from diabetes to cancer. That alone is reason enough to restrict your intake of grains. But wheat may be of particular concern.

You must avoid genetically modified food…here’s why

Since 1996 Americans have been eating genetically modified foods in most processed foods. Plants that are genetically modified have foreign genes inserted into their DNA. These inserted genes come from bacteria and viruses. This is the first time that viruses and bacteria have purposefully added to our food supply. The most common crops that are genetically modified are soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola.

Several animal studies have proven serious health risks associated with GMO foods. These include infertility, immune issues, accelerated aging, insulin issues, and changes in major organs of the gastrointestinal tract on a cellular level.

 

Here are some facts:

• Genetically modified (GM) soy allergies have increased by 50%
• GM soy reduces digestive enzymes in mice, and impairs digestion causing an overgrowth of bad bacteria in your gut
• Mice fed GM Peas started reacting to a larger range of other foods that they had not reacted to before being fed GM foods
• Rats fed GM potatoes had smaller, partially atrophied livers
• Rats fed GM canola had livers that weighed 12-16% heavier
• More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within 3 weeks
• The DNA of mouse embryos functioned differently when their parents ate GM soy
• The longer mice were fed the GM corn the less babies they had, and their babies were smaller
• By the 3rd generation of eating GM food hamsters were unable to have babies
• THERE ARE NO HUMAN CLINICAL TRIALS ON GM FOODS!!!
• In 1999 in Europe within a single week virtually all major food manufacturers committed to remove GM ingredients
• In 1992 the FDA official that was in charge of creating the policy that claimed “they had no information that GM foods were not substantially different than natural food” was Michael Taylor the former attorney for Monsanto (the largest biotech company), and later became the vice president of Monsanto. By working for the FDA he manipulated our countries protective barriers of food, to cash in on his vested interest.

Here is how to avoid GMO food, (it is important to note that the U.S. does not require GMO foods to be labeled)

• Buy organic food
• Buy things that are labeled non- GMO
• Avoid corn, soy, canola, cottonseed oil
• Download the Non-GMO food shopping guide and consume goods that are on the list (Download here)

Comments:

I am hoping that genetically modified (frankenstein) food will be eliminated from our food options in the near future. Europe has set an example for us once again. I do not think that we really know the effects of messing with the DNA of what we eat.  The fact that there have been no clinical trails on humans;  yet it has been added to our food choices is unbelievable!  Already in this industrialized nation and planet we are being exposed to more and more man made toxins too numerous to keep track of.  There is a clear link with those toxins and the rising cancer rates. Now Monsanto and other biotech company’s are adding to more disease by altering what nature has made for us out of its innate intelligence. Why do we doubt nature?

There is hope, and that is that we can educate ourselves and literally put our money where our mouth is and put these biotech company’s out of business. Download this guide to eating non-genetically modified foods now and start eating with more knowledge.(Download here)  What we eat every day has one of the most profound impacts on our health, and the planet as a whole.

Eat your vegetables… they are the new base of the new food pyramid

Study: Vegetables May Keep Brains Young

CHICAGO – New research on vegetables and aging gives mothers another reason to say “I told you so.” It found that eating vegetables appears to help keep the brain young and may slow the mental decline sometimes associated with growing old.
On measures of mental sharpness, older people who ate more than two servings of vegetables daily appeared about five years younger at the end of the six-year study than those who ate few or no vegetables.

No longer are breads, grains and cereals the foundation to the food pyramid. Instead, a diet of vegetables and fruits that are rich in antioxidants will help protect you from free radical damage at the cellular level.

You can find the full details of this study in the October issue of Neurology. It is even more impressive when you understand who the subjects were for this study. It involved 1,946 Chicago-area men and women aged 65 and older. Chicago is the land of deep dish pizza and all beef hot dogs. It was most likely a challenge to get them to eat their vegetables. Especially today when nutritionists want us to eat 5-8 servings of vegetables and fruits each and every day!

Eating 5-8 servings of vegetables a day, or juicing, or drinking a good Green Fusion product will provide all the necessary ingredients to meet the five keys to optimal health and nutrition.

FIVE KEYS TO OPTIMAL HEALTH:

• Free Radical Damage Protection: Most health experts will confirm that free radical damage at the cellular level is one of the key factors in aging and disease formation. Antioxidants are our best defense against the daily damage these free radicals try to inflict on our cells.
• Nutrition Diversity and Abundance: It is important to consume a variety of nutritious foods in proper combinations because certain nutrients and their co-factors act together synergistically.
• Proper Digestion and Absorption: Proper digestion is critical for the absorption of nutrients so that our blood stream can deliver them to our cells. Digestive enzymes help our digestive tract operate efficiently and effectively.
• Detoxification: Destructive toxins such as heavy metals and pollutants that we are exposed to every day will gradually weaken our immune system and lead to disease. Chlorophyll and other plant-based substances help to prevent this build up and act as excellent detoxifiers.
• The Acid  – Alkaline Balance: The American diet consists mainly of red meat, dairy products and dark cola drinks. This kind of food consumption constitutes an acidic diet. Too many acids can adversely affect the major body systems. Your body is slightly alkaline and will do whatever it takes to maintain its alkaline balance.

Core Greens is a green powder that you mix with a liquid that Maximizes These Five Keys to Optimal Health and Nutrition when you don’t have time to prepare vegetables or you are traveling…

Here are the results a patient’s labwork from taking Core Greens:

• They lost 12 lbs.
• Their  fasting blood sugar has gone from 120 to 107.
• Their cholesterol has dropped from 193 to 157 a whopping 36 points!
• Their LDL (bad cholesterol) has dropped from 122 to 82 (a whopping 40 points!)
• Their blood pressure has dropped from 138/78 to 118/76

“I have changed nothing else in my eating or exercising routine since taking the greens. I am taking 1 1/2 liters a day of greens. Get everyone you know, care about and love on this product. It is life-changing!” – Loretta Grazis

Is Core Greens by Synergy a source of gluten?
Most people sensitive of mature grains can take immature grasses safely, but should consult a health care provider first. Wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, and kamut grass are harvested while they are young, long before the plants mature and produce seeds that contain gluten. These grasses are considered to be gluten-free.

Are the ingredients in Synergy Core Greens heated or cooked?
Each of the ingredients in Core Greens is low heat dehydrated and processed with care to avoid destroying the delicate nutrients.

“I’ve used Core Greens for a short period of time and have lost almost 10 pounds. You hear on the radio that Americans are getting fatter every day. That used to be me – but not anymore!”
– Renee McComb

What’s the Cost for a Whole Food Program vs. Core Greens?

eating 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables:

• it averaged about $1.00 per lb. and a 1/2 lb. represented a serving, which costs about  $2.50 to $4.00 per day or $75 to $120 per month.

drinking water with core greens:

• core greens are easier to use, save me time and money, while providing all the  benefits of a strong, plant-based nutrition program.
• you get 30 servings per container.
• for  less than $1.75 per day I can stay on track with my nutrition if you are too busy to eat 5-8 organic servings of vegetables per day

Bottom line: Core Greens is an easy method to short-cut the process of eating and preparing your 5-8 servings of vegetables while still delivering all the benefits of a plant-based nutrition program!

COME BY MY OFFICE AND PICK SOME UP!

some foods can be your enemy?

Did you know that eating foods that your body does not like can cause: extra weight (that you cannot lose), fatigue, joint pain, fibromyalgia, chronic sinusitis, headaches, skin issues, brain fog, and many other symptoms. Eating healthful food is one thing, but eating in accordance with your own, unique, genetically determined biochemical makeup, is quite another thing.  Finding out what foods are right (and which are wrong) for you, is the key to health and performance.

Avoiding foods 80-90 percent of the time that are incompatible for you will increase your strength and energy.   Food intolerance induces the excessive generation of toxic free radicals and inflammatory chemicals. The damage can result in a wide range of health problems.

An example of a  “true” allergy is when a few molecules of peanut may induce shock and possible death. FOOD INTOLERANCE IS FAR MORE COMMON, and has a less drastic, and a more chronic effects on your health.

Food  intolerance  symptoms are dose related, chronic, and delayed.  Consequently, most people are unaware of their food intolerances. They happen a few hours later, or the next day.

The offending food may be tolerable until a chemical naturally occurring within the food, or a food additive exceeds a certain threshold.  
When chemicals in foods (naturally occurring or otherwise) cannot be adequately detoxified by the liver, the immune system is called to action. This is why it is important to eat organic foods whenever possible.

This “total toxic load” is further impacted by the integrity intestinal wall/barrier.   An overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut due to infection, cortisone (from the body’s response to stress or taken externally), medications ( such as antibiotics , NSAIDS like advil, and hormones used in birth control);  compromise the gut barrier. This situation is called leaky gut or dysbiosis.

Food intolerance, only began receiving  recognition following the work of Chicago based allergist,  Theron Randolf, in the 1950’s.

Modern agriculture causes modern diseases which are mostly caused by excessive inflammation.
The link between food intolerance, chemical sensitivity, and the dramatic increase in degenerative diseases is clearly connected to white flour, white sugar, and highly processed foods.   When low quality  foods are avoided, inflammation resolves, weight normalizes, and a number of other inflammatory based health problems subside. It is best to eat a diet based on foods that only existed 100 years ago.

Solutions
The most comprehensive approach to achieving health, leanness, improved energy, and strength should  emphasize healthy, natural, and nutritious food; along with exercise, stress management, intestinal health and adequate nutrition.

Personal note
A few years ago I   tested my blood for food sensitivities, and wheat was not positive. I had been eating sprouted wheat breads for years, which was the best kind of bread to eat.  After seeing a colleague who practiced kinesiology,  he suggested I give up wheat. When I did,  I felt really different, and lost 15 pounds without trying. I no longer feel tired, and achy, and my chronic digestive symptoms have disappeared.  I have no longer eat wheat, dairy, white sugar,  flour, eggplant, peppers, and almonds 80- 90 percent of the time. It was a challenge at first but  feeling  great out weighs the loss of croisants!
Come get tested for your individualized analysis tailored just for you.

 

Fatigue Facts: Part II

Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidney’s and release hormones that help you respond to stress. When we were cave people they produced hormones that got us into a “fight or flight response” to be able to run away from our predators. Nowadays we use the primary adrenal hormone called cortisol to deal with life in the 21st century. When we call on cortisol from our adrenals too often, they stop being able to keep up with our demands, and exhaustion sets in. If this is not treated over time it can precipitate lowered immunity, fibromyalgia, and cancer; ( to name a few). Regular M.D.’s do not acknowledge this dysfunction unless it is in a full blown diseased state which is called Addison’s Disease. This is why it is important to see Dr. Kate and treat the dysfunction rather than waiting for it to show up as a full blown disease. The Adrenal glands act synergistically with other hormones related to blood sugar, sex hormones, thyroid hormones at the cell receptor gene level.

 

 

 

HIGH CORTISOL FROM EXCESS STRESS:

• Competes with sex hormones ( testosterone, estrogen, progesterone) for binding sites on cell receptors (this is where the symptoms of PMS, low libido, osteoporosis, and loss of lean muscle mass come in).
• Makes cells less sensitive to Insulin which promotes high blood sugar levels leading to: metabolic syndrome, cancer,and diabetes
• Causes cells to be less sensitive to thyroid hormone: this is called “Thyroid Resistance”. Thyroid levels are NORMAL, yet tissues fail to respond to thyroid hormones
• The tissues that are affected by high cortisol require higher and higher levels of sex hormones, thyroid hormones, and blood sugar hormones to get the cells to do their job. The cells become less sensitive to all of these hormones.  This is why lab tests for these hormones are  often normal…There is enough of the hormones, but the cells are ignoring their signals ( similarly to insulin and diabetes). This often stumps M.D.’s and they start treating with antidepressant medications

 

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THIS SITUATION:

• Get a body-mind practice ( you can join my meet up group to learn about some of these)
• put “down time” in your life each day
• get to bed before 10:30, and get at least 8 hours of sleep
• acknowledge and express your emotions constructively to those who can support you emotionally
• eat organic quality protein and high fiber vegetables, and minimize processed foods and sugar
• cut back on caffeine intake
• get tested by Dr. Kate for  vitamins and herbs to support your entire endocrine system, and treat the underlying cause
• receive  craniosacral treatments from Dr. Kate to re-wire your brain for relaxation and a sense of calm
• avoid negative news, people, and places
• get into nature and other resourcing places as often as you can… like riding your bike, or going for  a peaceful walk
• re-frame your stress as emotional growth opportunities to learn how to take better care of yourself…
• remember it is not what happens, but how we deal with it…