Chronic Inflammation

The early naturopaths knew that metabolic sediment was a major cause of chronic inflammation in the form of skin eruptions, arthritis, cystitis and lupus. Metabolic sediment is where sticky particles such as undigested gluten protein ooze through the capillary walls into the tissues spaces. Over several decades of time these spaces become quite enlarged as particles, unable to get back into the capillaries, build up and clog the lymphatic channels.    

But now scientist are discovering that many chronic diseases involve the presences of chronic inflammation. These include:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Asthma
• Celiac disease
• Colitis
• Crohn's disease
• Cystitis
• Eczema
• Emphysema
• Gum disease
• Hepatitis
• Hypothyroidism
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lupus
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriasis
• Sinusitis

Inflammation is very damaging, since it involves the production of collagen-destroying enzymes. If metabolic sediment continues to ooze into the tissue spaces, the immune system may become permanently overactive in the affected areas, which is highly undesirable. This further impairs lymphatic drainage and oxygen supply to the area.

Reference: Lazarides, L. (2010). A textbook of modern naturopathy. London: Health-Diets.net.

For help go to Herbs are Great:

Look for herbs for inflammation. One great overall herb is Echinacea/Golden Seal (100 caps)  Stock number 835-2.

How is Essential Oil Distilled?

Essential oils have a variety of beneficial uses, like helping you sleep better, relieving stress and even freshening up your home as you clean. Did you know that there are multiple ways to create essential oil from plants? 

But there is one method more commonly used, especially to extract pure essential oils from plants, and that is steam distillation.

How Steam Distillation Works

Here’s how you make essential oils using steam distillation.

First, the freshly picked plants are placed inside a chamber. Next, a steady stream of steam is pushed into the chamber. This constant flow of steam causes small sacs (oil membranes) holding the essential oils to rupture. Once that happens, the oil is transported by the steam out of the chamber and into a chilled condenser. It’s inside the condenser that the steam is promptly cooled and condensed into water again. Because oil and water don’t mix, the two components separate, and the essential oil can then be collected.

Some believe vertical steam distillation produces the best quality of distilled essential oils.

Factors that can Affect an Oil’s Quality

Besides the quality of plant material used, four factors can affect the final quality of essentials oils distilled:

1. Distillation Equipment. The material and size of the cooking chamber, condenser and separator all factor into the quality of oil. You want a non-reactive metal to use for the cooking chamber, and stainless steel is the best metal to use.

2. Time. Think of essential oils like cooking your favorite veggies. You get the best flavor and quality when you cook them longer and with patience over the stove than nuking them in the microwave. The same is true with distilling essential oils. The majority of oils turn out better when they undergo a slower cooking process.

3. Temperature. Consider vegetables again. If the temperature is too high, you’ll overcook them. And if the temperature in the cooking chamber is too high, some of the essential oils components will likely be changed or even destroyed.

4. Pressure. Pressure in the chamber is the same as the temperature. The higher the pressure, the more likely your resulting oil will have a harsh aroma and its therapeutic benefits will lessen. Low pressure and low temperature make the best quality essential oils.

Hydrocholric Acid (HCL)

HCL deficiency is extremely common. Patients with low stomach acidity frequently report these symptoms:

• Bloating, belching, or burning, (heartburn) immediately after meals
• A feeling that food just sites in the stomach not digesting
• An inability to eat more than a small amount of food without feeling full
• Many are constipated, some have diarrhea
• Weak, easily broken peeling fingernails as well as hair loss in women
• Many people have gassiness in the upper abdomen
• Some patients cannot tolerate fatty foods
• Persistent nausea, burning tongue

Reference: Lazarides, L. (2010). A textbook of modern naturopathy. London: Health-Diets.net.

Solution: go to Herbs are Great on this blog and search for "HCl digestive enzymes". There you will find some herbs that will help.

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The Stomach

When digestion is weak, fewer nutrients will be absorbed. Enzyme production will suffer so digestion ability worsens in a vicious cycle. This applies particularly to the digestion of protein, which is the main raw material of all digestives enzymes and hormones.

The main role of gastric juices in the stomach:

• Destroy bacteria and other micro-organisms found in food
• Separate vitamin B12 from food and combine it with intrinsic factor
• Release minerals from food
• Prepare protein for digestion by pancreatic enzymes
• Stimulate the rest of the digestive process, especially bicarbonate and pancreatic enzyme production

Many of these process depend on the high acidity if gastric juice, in the form of hydrochloric acid (HCl). Acid is needed to stimulate the production of bicarbonate by the live and pancreas. In turn bicarbonate makes the gut contents more alkaline, and this act as a trigger for the release of digestive enzymes.

Reference: Lazarides, L. (2010). A textbook of modern naturopathy. London: Health-Diets.net.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

If the small intestine becomes more permeable than it is supposed to be (leaky), it allows abnormally large food molecules to enter the bloodstream. These incompletely digested molecules may stimulate allergic / immune responses both in the intestinal wall and elsewhere in the body.

When the small intestine suffers impaired permeably, it both absorbs what it should not and does not absorb what it should. A leaky gut allows not only oversize protein molecules to enter the bloodstream but also bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. When this happens the body reacts with alarm.

Symptoms of a leaky gut include:

• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Abdominal pain or bloating
• Indigestion or flatulence
• Mucus of blood in stools
• Chronic joint or muscle pains
• Frequent fatigue, tiredness
• Fuzzy thinking
• Confusion, poor memory
• Mood swings
• Poor exercise tolerance
• Weak immunity
• Shortness of breath
• Skin rashes, hives, eczema
• Asthma, bronchitis, respiratory infections
• Food allergies / intolerances

A leaky gut may be caused by a gluten intolerance, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alcohol, intestinal parasites, food sensitivities, or candidiasis.

Foods to Avoid
In order to heal the leaky gut it is necessary to eliminate ALL of the following:

• Milk products (butter, buttermilk, cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, ice milk, milk, yogurt)
• Grains (barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, kamut, millet, oaks rice, rye, wheat, wild rice)
• Legumes (peas, bean, lentil,. chickpeas, soy/tofu)
• Starchy vegetable (beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin. squash, sweet potatoes. turnips)
• High glycemic fruits (banana, dried fruits, fruit juices)
• Sugars (brown sugar, can juice, corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, icing sugar, maltose, maple sugar, molasses, raw sugar
• Alcoholic beverages

Biological Effects of EMFs

Before I list the many effects of EMF, a definition of EMF is first needed. The simple definition is EMF stands for Electromagnetic Fields - forces generated by the flow of electricity. With the harnessing if electrical energy and its incorporation into every aspect of out daily lives this force has become a significant threat to our lives.


Electromagnetic energy surrounds and penetrate our homes, our work environment, and every place in-between. It has been accused of causing a list of effects ranging from cancer to suicide.


From a report by the American Medical Association on EMFs, in laboratory tests of EMFs, using both whole animals and cell culture data, changes were present in the following measured parameters"

• The nervous system
• Ion movement across cell membranes
• Cellular enzymes
• Chromatid and chromosome structure
• Brain electrophysiology
• Perception
• Behavior: Social and operant
• Lymphocyte cytotoxicity
• Pineal gland melatonin suppression
• Circadian Rhythm (biological clock)
• Bone healing delays
• Testosterone concentration
• Brain Seizure induction
• Tumor cell plating efficiency
• Brain neurotransmitter concentration
• DNA production
• Oncogene promotion
• Evoked response
• Heart rate

Source: Report 7 of the Council on Scientific Affairs, January 1994, "Effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields."