Changed Jobs

A recent change in your working environment is a source of significant stress of our body.

When a person is under a lot of stress, normal organ functions become compromised. The adrenal gland, which produce hormones that provide the stress response, are especially vulnerable. If a stress continues over a long period of time, the adrenal eventually begin to weaken in their ability to keep up, and symptoms of the adrenal hypo-function appear. The class is repsone to a stressful situation is the “fight of flight response”. The blood supply to skeletal and heart muscles, brain, skin and lungs increases. The body evolved to use the “fight or flight response” very infrequently. Unfortunately in our modern lifestyle our body has to deal with Fight or Flight type responses to stressful situation on a regular, if not daily basis. During this response the blood supply to the kidneys, liver, stomach, and intestines diminishes. As a result, digestion, detoxification, and elimination are reduced.

Stress also increases your nutritional requirements. Increased stress leads to a increased demand for B vitamins, zinc, and Vitamin C. It is important to replace these either via the diet or through nutritional supplementation. Some people handle stress by over-eating, with cravings for ice cream, sweets, candy, and other food with low nutritional value. Unfortunately, the intake of these high sugar, high calories and low nutrient food will only exacerbate the problem, and may lead to other health problems.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.

Have You Ever Had a Herniated DIsc?

A history of herniated disc is an indication of a general need for connective tissue support. balancing the overall structure of the body is essential and a general protocol for supporting the connective tissue is important.

The following is a list of nutrients that are useful for healing connective tissue:

1. Vitamin B12
2. Glucosamine hydrochloride
3. MSM
4. Vitamin B6
5. Vitamin C complex
6. Calcium and magnesium
7. Essential fatty acids
8. Chondroitin sulfate

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing

Bach Flower: Gentian

Gentian And Pessimism

The Bach flower remedy Gentian is, in its positive state, a supreme sense of faith – in God, in life, in self. However, in the negative state, it spells
pessimism, negativity and the cup-half-empty syndrome. A person who needs Gentian will only see the negative side of things, no matter how much he tries not to.

Physical

There’s a slight droop to his shoulders, his eyes don’t light up even when he hears something positive and he tends to avoid company when he feels too negative about things. If he does succumb to any infection, things could get worse simply because he expects them to and doesn’t make the
effort to get better. Gentian gives him hope to look forward with optimism.

Mental

He feels his life is in a bad way and things can only get worse, not better. So he looks at life with a jaundiced eye, always choosing to be unhappy rather than happy and contented. This naturally makes him gravitate to the unhappy areas in life and things just get worse. Gentian makes his mind look up and be more optimistic.

Emotional

This negative attitude does not really make for good relationships. Any little argument or fight and he sees the relationship as crumbling and falling apart. Any small cloud on his emotional horizon is seen as a huge impediment so any relationship just spirals to a break up very soon. He also tends to be drawn to other negative people and this doesn’t help. Gentian helps him relax and see the positive side of things – and it helps him to ignore the little negative moments.

Spiritual

He finds it difficult to have faith and constantly questions. With Gentian, he is filled with a simple, overflowing faith that opens out the floodgates of optimism. Once this happens, more and more positive opportunities will present themselves to him and he can vibrate to the frequency of his
higher self. The self that was created to live in a state of joyfulness.

Reference: Bach Flower Remedies by Shalini Kagal (2012)
Website: http://ohmtalk.com
e-mail: shalini.kagal@gmail.com

Water, Tap

The quality of municiple tap water is questionable. Recent reports have indicated that many municipal water authorities are in violation of clean water standards. Significant levels of organic and inorganic chemical such as pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers and lead have been found in musical water supplies. Unfortunately many of these pollutants are difficult to get rid of using the common purification methods that are in place in many areas of the country today.

Tap water contains pollutants such as fecal coliform bacteria, parasites, other water born pathogens. It also contains chlorine and in some cases fluoride, both of which are toxic to the body. It is bet to filter your tap water before consuming it.  Good, hgh quality water filtration system is a sound and healthy investment. Methods such as reverse osmosis, distillation, charcoal filtering and demonization are acceptable methods of water treatment.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.

Depression During Periods

Depression during the period is often a sign of magnesium deficiency or low thyroid function. There has been some interesting work done that postulates low serotonin levels in some women after ovulation and into menstration.  Low serotonin levels are linked to depression. There is evidence that estrogen levels have some impact on serotonin levels in the body.


Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing

Bach Flower: Elm

Elm And Inadequacy

The Back flower remedy Elm is great in the lives of strong and responsible people when they have their occasional moments of inadequacy or weakness. In general, those who might need Elm usually do not need it on a continuing basis – they need it  occasionally when they hit the potholes  of exhaustion and weakness on a road that they usually travel with a great deal of hard work, courage and strength.

Physical

Elm people are capable and usually hold positions of responsibility and power. They come up in any organization by the sheer don't of hard work
and they can be thoroughly relied on to get any job done. They never shirk their responsibilities and it is only when there is far too much work for them to manage that they show signs of not being able to cope. A few doses of Elm is all it takes to get them up and going again. Elm also makes them see that there are some things that are simply too much for them to handle – so maybe they should leave it to be done later or get more hands on the job.

Mental

For the most part, Elm people are optimistic and altruistic. They take things in their stride and if there is one fault, they think that they can handle anything - not in a proud, boastful way but in a very practical way. This sometimes means that they bite off more than they can chew simply because they did not view it with objectivity. When they find that they cannot cope, there is a momentary feeling of depression and if this is allowed to continue, they may just lose their self confidence. With a few
doses of Elm, they regain the mental strength to cope with whatever needs to be done.

Emotional

Very often, the Elm person relies on himself a little too much and this can lay him open to hurt. He thinks if he does things well, emotionally, too, things will go the way he expects them to. Moderation is something that Elm teaches him – that and the objectivity to see things as they are and not expect them to be what he wants them to be. Elm has been called ‘psychological smelling salts’ and the moment a person like this feels low, he should take a dose of Elm to feel good again. Elm really is a great revitalizer even in matters of the heart.

Spiritual

Many Elm people will offer to do a lot when it comes to their church or their religious place of worship. Very soon, they find that everyone else just passes on any work to be done to them and there comes a time when it can be overwhelming. To prevent being at the receiving end of others’ laziness and not to feel a sense of despair, a few doses of Elm will help you feel much better.


Reference: Bach Flower Remedies by Shalini Kagal (2012)
Website: http://ohmtalk.com
e-mail: shalini.kagal@gmail.com

Margarine

Margarine is a man-made, chemically altered fat. Margarine was developed as the great healthy, easy-to-spreads cholesterol free, alternative to butter, because it was made out of vegetable oil. Unfortunately margarine is none of these. It is not even a food.

Margarine is 100% hydrogenated oil and is full of trans fatty acids. A type of unnatural, man-made fat that have been linked with the following health problems:

1. Cancer: high levels of trans fats have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
2. Trans fats have been linked with increased platelet stickiness, which is associated with coronary heart disease.
3. Pain and inflammation becomes much worse for people who eat hydrogenated fats.
4. Trans fatty acids block the body’s  production of naturallly occuring anti-inflammatories.
5. Trans fats are a source of immune system problems. They are incorporated into the cell membrane, where they increase cell memebrane permeability making them more susceptible to infection.
6. Trans fats block the body’s ability to metabolize and use the essential fatty acids, causing muscle fatigue and skin problems.

The body does not know how to deal with trans fatty acids, as they are a new introduction into the food chain. We do not have the mechanisms to digest them and they tend to hang around the body for a very long period of time. The half-life for trans fatty acids is 3-4 months, it takes 3-4 months for the body to decrease in half the level of a recently ingested trans fatty acid.

People are under the impression that eating margarine will cause them to be healthier. Nothing could be further from the truth. Butter, used in moderation, is by far the most acceptable and healthy choice. Margarine will cause an essential fatty acid defieciency.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.

Anemia Unresponsive to Iron

An anemia that is not responsive to iron may be a sign of digestion and / or absorption problems. The person may not be absorbing the supplemental iron due to a low amount of stomach acid. Also, many doctors may give iron for an anemia before considering its true cause. An anemia that is unresponsive to iron may be due to some other nutritiional defieciency, especially B12 and folic acid. Vitamin B12 required adequate stomach acid for its absorption. Zinc defieciency has been associated with hydrochlorhydri and should therefor be assessed.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.

Bach Flower: Clematis

Clematis And Concentration

The Back flower remedy Clematis is one that brings focus and concentration to a person when it is needed. People who need these are in a dreamy state quite out of tune with the world. They live in a dream world of their own making, forsaking the present to live in a dream-like future in their mind. They are rarely conscious of what is going on around them and even though they might be conscious of what is happening for a while, they drift back into their world of imagination very soon. Unlike the distracted, hyperactive person who is usually a pain, these people are just not present in any way except physically.

Physical

They are there with you or at least their bodies are but they hardly notice what you are saying or doing. You might have to repeat instructions or ask
questions a couple of times before anything penetrates. Their eyes have an unfocussed, glazed look and they tend to have a pale complexion. They bump into things when they walk and when they fall ill, they just lie back and rarely want to get better.

Mental

There’s no ambition, no clear plan for the future and no time management. You cannot give them something to do and expect it to be done on time. They are usually not a part of the rat race and function better at their own pace and in their own business. They never push themselves forward and
go with the flow in a rather yielding way. Tomorrow is that wonderful dream in their head – why should they worry about it or work towards it?

Emotional

They might get emotional inside their head but they usually don’t outside. They are rather passive and there is no feeling in what they do – most of it is mechanical and done because it has to be done. Inside their head, they have a fertile imagination and they feel, see and smell the colors, the designs, the textures. With Clematis, they start getting more focused, they come out of their dream world and they see the beauty around them. They make wonderful artists, writers, photographers and fashion designers if Clematis is allowed to work gently on them, drawing them out. It might take time but it happens.

Spiritual

In a way, these people are deeply spiritual but their spirituality is not of the practical kind. Clematis makes them aware of people and things around them and slowly, they see the wonder of the present, not the mirage of a future inside their head. Clematis, while helping them concentrate also makes them feel in touch with themselves and be happy about it. It does not make them forget who they are inside – it augments that wonder inside so it flows out.


Reference: Bach Flower Remedies by Shalini Kagal (2012)
Website: http://ohmtalk.com
e-mail: shalini.kagal@gmail.com

Eat Fast Food Regularly

We live in a fast food society with many demands on our time. Unfortunately choices we make with our time have long term impacts on our health. The choice to use fast food on a regular basis is one of these.

On of the major concerns of fast food is the type of oils and fats used to prepared and cook the food. Deep-fried foods and hydrogenated fats are the mainstay of fast food. Both of these will have long-term repercussions on health. Hydrogenated fats are a source of trans fatty acids. A type of unnatural, man-made fat has been linked with the following problems:




1. Cancer: high levels of trans fats have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
2. Trans fats have been linked with increased platelet stickiness, which is associated with coronary heart disease.
3. Pain and inflammation becomes much worse for people who eat hydrogenated fats.
4. Trans fatty acids block the body’s  production of naturallly occuring anti-inflammatories.
5. Trans fats are a source of immune system problems. They are incorporated into the cell membrane, where they increase cell memebrane permeability making them more susceptible to infection.
6. Trans fats block the body’s ability to metabolize and use the essential fatty acids, causing muscle fatigue and skin problems.

Fast foods ar high is calories, and refined sugars, but low in active vitamins and minerals. The body has to metabolize the meal by robbing its stores of nutrients, leading to low energy, and nutrient deficiencies.

Reference: Weatherby, D. (2004). Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective. Jacksonville, OR: Bear Mountain Publishing.