Archive for the ‘Health & Nutrition’ Category

Evaluating Priorities for Health and Connectedness

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

As massage therapists and bodyworkers we are sometimes confronted with the thought, “Why am I doing this?”.  Maybe in spite of all our efforts a client isn’t improving, maybe we have received negative feedback about our work, it may happen when there is more month at the end of the money or maybe we feel too exhausted to enjoy friends, family and free time.  Most often the answer is clear after a moment’s reflection, but if you are feeling mentally or physically exhausted due to your focus on your work, you need to step back and evaluate your priorities.

Life is often what happens while we are focused on some future event, goal or reward.  So life (and that includes work) must be lived (ie, experienced in the present) to it’s fullest at all times. If you can’t do that and a change in perspective is unlikely to help, then you should change how or what you are doing. 

Less drastic than changing careers, physical exercise is one means of improving mental outlook and physical well being. A fellow twitter user, Jasper Silvas wrote a concise post on “Improving Your Health to Enjoy Your Wealth“, which is worth reading. As always, I would temper his advice on exercise frequency and diet with recommendations from the Blood Type diet books by Dr. Peter D’Adamo.

I would also say that wealth should not necessarily be measured in dollars, posessions or the number of followers on the internet. It might be measured in the number of people’s lives you have improved in some way.

O’kay, … this is sounding a little unfocused and not well said, but I think good health and a combination of physical exertion, mental focus and reflective relaxation are necessary for a life well lived. It’s probably a good thing that no one else reads these blogs anyway!

Don Gillmore, 15 year massage therapist, lover of the outdoors and disjointed thinker

Health Condition Diagnosis by Expert System “Analyst”?

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

I just ran across the “Analyst” on www.diagnose-me.com. It is a computer program known as an ‘expert system’, which relies on a 900 question patient input form to suggest possible health conditions based on symptoms rather than lab tests.

Ever since college (back when computers took up entire rooms and and had a total of 256 KB memory – that’s righ KB, not MB or GB of memory), I have been intrigued with modeling the human body’s physiological functions on computer. In a former life, I spent untold hours chained to a computer developing rules for a rudimentary (non-medical) expert system. I know that the output is only as good as the combination of input, decision making algorithms and rules, but even rudimentary systems can be useful. Because of this, I have a certain fascination for the possibility of expert systems to assist human decision making. “Analyst” recommends alternative medical cures rather than pharmaceutical prescription, but does recommend lab tests where appropriate. They also provide a free online list of practioners in your area with whom you may consult.

After filling out the online questionaire (about 1 hour of your time) a report will be emailed to you. The FREE report is an abbreviated computer only report. $25 for full computer only report (about 67 pgs), $55 for computer report w/ doctor (MD, ND, or DC) review (additional 4-5 pgs). $77 for report and doctor review including some email consultation.

Most of the recommendations are for dietary modification, supplements and detoxification. Just what I would say is appropriate in lieu of any acute medical emergency or health condition. I am available, at my office, for consultation on specific detoxification programs and can provide either ion detox foot bath or far infrared sauna sessions for full body sweat detoxification.

As I have no insurance or regular doc, I may give “Analyst” a try. My last physical from the VA basically said that if I had a heart beat, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke and didn’t have diabetes, I must be in good health!

Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist(15 yrs), B.S.- Life Sciences

Far Infrared Sauna for Full Body Detox

Monday, July 13th, 2009
Far Infrared (FIR) Sauna

Far Infrared (FIR) Sauna

I think the most important step in full body detoxification is a healthy, cleansing diet.  To me, Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s Blood Type Diet makes the most sense.  Please read my earlier book reviews “Eat Right 4 Your Type” and “Live Right 4 Your Type”.  To enable the new diet to have maximum impact on your health, you will probably need to take the second step of cleansing the colon so that there are no barriers to nutrient absorption and no pockets in the mucous lining of the intestine where bacteria, fungus, putrefied food or parasites can hide.  The third step is to begin to draw out toxins that are deposited in the skin, adipose tissue (fat) and joints.

I have already mentioned the ionic foot bath detox in an earlier post. It is effective in triggering the lymphatic system to flush toxins through the bowel and urinary tract and makes an excellent addition to your detox program. It would be my first choice for any client not able to tolerate the far infrared (FIR) sauna sessions. However, the FIR sauna has so many health benefits, it must be a keystone to your detox program.  The far infrared sauna sweat detox is far superior to traditional dry Finnish saunas and the steam saunas in providing deep penetrating heat and maximum sweat production. The greatest side benefit is how good you feel after a sauna and how well you sleep that night.

Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist(15 yrs), B.S.- Life Sciences

Ion Detox Foot Bath

Sunday, July 12th, 2009
Foot Bath Water after 30 mins.

Foot Bath Water after 30 mins.

The popular ionic foot bath systems are a technique of body detoxification, cleansing and balancing. The client’s feet or hands are immersed in an electrically conductive water bath where metal electrodes connected to a direct current (DC) power source create negative (OH) ions, which are absorbed into the body by osmosis. Cells are energized by the ions to release oils, acids, heavy metals, fats, cellular debris, and other toxins which have accumulated in your body’s tissues and joints over your lifetime. These body wastes and toxins color the foot bath water. Although the colors and accumulated flotsam that appear in the foot bath are dramatic, too much emphasis is often placed on them. They are indicators of which systems or areas of the body need detoxification. The primary detoxification occurs during the next 24-36 hours when the lymphatic and other body systems are stimulated to detoxify themselves through the urinary and intestinal tract. Foot bath sessions usually run from 30 to 45 minutes. Five to ten repeated sessions at from one to three sessions per week are recommended.

Ion Cleansing detoxifies the body more effectively and faster than any herbal or fasting protocols with little or no stress to the patient. Used properly, the Ion Cleanse provides a comfortable and relaxing way to rid the body of toxins without healing crises and Herxheimer’s reactions. It can also indicate specific systems, which may need further detoxification. In my opinion, this is an excellent detoxification tool especially when used in conjunction with liver & gall bladder flushes, colon cleansing and sweat detoxes.

People have reported elimination of pain in their feet, legs, hips and back after using the foot bath. Clients have also reported reduced pain in shoulders, elbows and arms by placing their forearm & hand in the spa tub, instead of their feet.
 
Some specific brand names for foot bath detox systems are IonCleanse, Ion Spa & Ionic Body Balancer.
 
Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist(15 yrs), B.S.- Life Sciences

Detoxification Side Effects

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
Okay, before we get too deep into the ‘nitty gritty’ of various detoxification protocols, I want to give fair warning about some of the potential side effects, which may occur during a detoxification program. Our stated intention is to remove environmental chemicals, organic toxins, body wastes, arterial plaque, old medications, heavy metals, latent pathogenic bacteria, fungus, molds and parasites. In short, nasty stuff! If this stuff is stored in your liver, joints, skin, adipose (fat) tissue or colon, various detox protocols will draw it out through your skin, lungs, urinary tract or bowel. In the process, it may accumulate in your blood, lymphatic fluid, urine and feces. For example, people who lose weight rapidly often report a wide range of negative ‘don’t feel so good’ symptoms. That is the result of old organic or environmental chemicals, which are being released as the fat melts away. See where I am going with this?
 
Side effects of detoxification programs may include, but are not limited to: weight loss, dehydration, loss of electrolytes and minerals, loose bowel movements, rashes, skin infections, fatigue, headaches, flu–like symptoms, nausea and nonspecific aches and pains. These symptoms are the result of what the alternative healing community calls a ’healing crisis’. As disturbing as some of these symptoms can be to an unsuspecting pilgrim, they are usually not severe enough to justify stopping the detox process. However, severe symptoms may be the result of a Herxheimer’s reaction, which occurs when toxins are being released faster than the body can eliminate them. This is often seen as a result of the use of pharmaceutical antibiotics, which cause a massive bacterial die-off, which in turn releases toxins.
 
Not everyone will experience a healing crisis, those who do, will usually find it to be mild and easily tolerated. However, anyone wishing to initiate a detoxification program should consult with their primary health care provider to confirm that they are physically fit to start such a treatment program and be under the supervision of an experienced alternative health care professional.
 
My next post on detoxification, will discuss the first of many specific detox methods. Which one will I choose? Tune in tomorrow to find out!
 
Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist(15 yrs), B.S.- Life Sciences

Book Review: Live Right 4(For) Your Type

Friday, July 10th, 2009

Live Right 4Live Right 4 Your Type: The individualized Prescription for Maximising Health, Metabolism, and Vitality in Every Stage of Your Life
by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo with Catherine Whitney,
G.P. Putnum’s Sons, New York, NY, 2001. ISBN 0-399-14673-3.
Reviewed by Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist

Everything I said in an earlier post about Dr. D’Adamo’s first book Eat Right 4 Your Type applies here.  Dr. D’Adamo is a second generation Naturopathic physician and in his first book he presented the case that there are four broadly defined diets, exercise regimens, and personalities, which correlate to the four major human blood types of Group O, A, B & AB. This book is the result of further in-depth study of the relationship between food, personality, and health risks to the four major blood groups and sub-types such as secreator vs. non-secretor and Lewis factor.  Where applicable, he also refines his dietary advice by stressing differences for young children, older children and seniors from the general advice for that blood group.

To use the refined information in this book effectively, it is important to determine one’s secretor status. This is especially true if the basic dietary advice for your blood type isn’t working for you or you already have serious health issues. He explains that secretor status can require an expensive lab test or be done “quick & dirty” with a test for your Lewis group when your basic blood type is determined.  This is not 100% accurate, but it does have a high probability of correlation to secretor status.  If you don’t know your blood type or secretor status, Dr. D’Adamo offers kits for home blood type testing & secretor saliva swab kits at his internet store site.

The Eat Right & Live Right diet books are the first dietary advice that makes sense to me. I have never bought the ‘One Vegetarian Diet’ fits all idea.  I have recommended this book to several friends.  Many have lost weight without restricting calories. Some have cleared up life-long digestive system symptoms.  An ongoing informal survey of my massage clients suggests that the broad guidelines outlined by Dr. D’Adamo are valid.  It isn’t absolutely necessary to read the Ear Right book before you read this one, but I think it makes sense to do so as it lays down the philosophical as well as scientific basis for this dietary approach. I highly recommend this book.

Don

Full Body Detoxification Strategies

Friday, July 10th, 2009
FIR Sauna Full Body Sweat unit

FIR Sauna Full Body Sweat unit

Because we offer both foot bath detox and far infrared sauna sweat detox sessions, clients often ask me “Which one is better?”, “Do those foot patches really work?”, “What’s the best way to detoxify their body?”, “Should I do a liver and gall bladder flush?”, “What about a fast?”, “How long should I fast?”, “Is a water fast better than a juice fast?”, “I don’t like enemas (or colon hydrotherapy). Do I have to do those?”

The questions are as varied as the clients and so are the answers. Where do you start? The first thing to determine is(are) the reason(s) you want to start a detoxification program in the first place. We often hear about environmental toxins in our air, food and water and suspect that after 30, 40 or 50 plus years, we have stored too much of them in our adipose (fat) tissue and joints. Others are concerned about specific heavy metals such as lead or mercury. Some are concerned about reduced nutrient absorption or parasites in the digestive tract. Some have heard that it might be a good way to lose weight. Others have serious physical, emotional or mental symptoms that have been linked to one or all of the above conditions. Maybe a friend tried a foot bath detox and said it was ‘Great!’ So you’d like to try it.  Hair analysis is often the first step in determining mineral levels (toxic & essential). Depending on the lab doing the testing, it  can also provide pertinent information about your metabolic rate, energy levels, sugar and carbohydrate tolerance, stage of stress, immune system and glandular activity.

The next most important issue is time.  You see if you are serious about detoxifying your body, it will take time.  It has taken years to accumulate what ever is in your body.  It will take time for repeated detox, liver flush, colon cleansing or fasting sessions.  You don’t want to start a detoxification program just before going on a trip for instance.  Once you complete an initial period of detoxification you should let your body rest for a few weeks then repeat it.  Maybe more than once.

Once you have identified why you want to start a detox program and that you have at least a month for the initial cleansing sessions, you can discuss it with an experienced alternative health care provider to outline which treatments are most likely to help you achieve your goal.

Look for my next post on this subject where I begin to discuss the detoxification process and some of the potential side effects.

Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist(15 yrs), B.S.- Life Sciences

Full Body Detoxification What is it?

Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Detox Foot Bath Water after 30 mins.

Detox Foot Bath Water after 30 mins.

This is the first post in what I intend to be a series of in depth discussions regarding alternative therapy detoxification strategies and specific methods.

Detox, Detoxification or Detoxifying the Body – refers to a myriad of therapies, which are intended to rid the body of accumulated cell wastes, drugs, environmental chemicals, heavy metals and parasites (fungus, mold, pathogenic bacteria, virus, or worms). It may also include the elimination of negative thought patterns and emotions. The liver detoxifies our blood, but may have been stressed to the point that it can not detoxify itself. The lymph system filters fungus, mold, and bacteria from our blood, but may also harbor these organisms in a latent state. Gallstones are usually a combination of cholesterol, bile and/or mineral salts, which can accumulate in the gall bladder. Kidney stones are crystalline structures, which can accumulate in the kidney. Drugs and environmental chemicals can be stored in our adipose (fat) tissue. Due to cosmetics, antiperspirants or lack of sweating our skin pores may be blocked from normal elimination of cell wastes. Our colon may harbor parasites (fungus, mold, pathogenic bacteria, virus, or worms).

Therapies my include, but are not limited to: detoxification diets, fasting, colloidal silver, ozonated water or air, colon hydrotherapy, massage, manual lymphatic drainage, liver detox, gall bladder flush, use of heat (saunas) to induce sweating, ioncleanse foot bath, and pulsed electromagnetic therapies.  Many people are now going to holistic dentists to have mercury amalgam fillings removed and replaced with ceramic fillings.

Look for my next post where I will discuss planning a detoxification strategy.  Sylvie Beljanski has an well thought out and well written article “Detoxification for Optimum Health“, which I recomend for further reading on this topic.

Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist(15 yrs), B.S.- Life Sciences

Think you don’t have a thyroid problem or are adequately treated on your thyroid meds? Think again.

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

thyroidglandIn your quest for emotional and spiritual healing and optimal health, a little gland in your neck called the Thyroid may be trying to speak to you.

Thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism and/or Hashimotos,  is not only rampant is today’s toxic world, its all too frequently undiagnosed or poorly treated.  And sometimes, no matter what modalities of treatment you try, you are still forced to face that your thyroid problem may need to be discovered and treated by allopathic medicine.

But the problem is that doctors routinely use the wrong test, the TSH and total T4,  and the wrong medications: Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, etc.  The TSH lab test can be “normal” for years before it rises high enough to reveal your hypothyroid state, all the while you battle with easy weight gain, fatigue, dry skin or hair, feeling cold, depression, and a host of other lingering hypothyroid symptoms in your “normal” state.

Even if your hypothyroid state is discovered, the clueless doctor puts you a T4-only, thyroxine medication, aka Synthroid, Levoxyl, or levothyroxine. T4 is a thyroid storage hormone meant to convert to the active, health-giving T3.  But the body is not meant to live on conversion alone!!  As a result, nearly all thyroid patients on these medications will continue to live with lingering symptoms.

What’s the solution? To find out about the Road Less Traveled by a growing body of thyroid patients around the world–a road which has led to a far better treatment, far better labwork, and discovery of a host of other conditions that need to be treated. It’s a patient revolution called Stop the Thyroid Madness.

The pioneering and powerful patient-to-patient website and book with more detail explains it all, and perhaps, if you have an undiscovered or poorly treated thyroid condition, you just might find your life completely changed from the information.

Janie Bowthorpe, thyroid patient activist, blog writer, and author.

Book Review: Eat Right 4(For) Your Type

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Eat Right 4Eat Right 4 Your Type: The individualized diet solution to staying healthy,
living longer & achieving your ideal weight
by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo with Catherine Whitney,
G.P. Putnum’s Sons, New York, NY, 1996. ISBN 0-399-14255-X.
Reviewed by Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist

Dr. D’Adamo, ND really stirred up a storm in the natural healing community when he wrote this book.  Not only did he have the temerity to suggest that a vegetarian diet was not the only healthy diet, he went on to say that depending on your blood type, protein or dairy may actually optimize your metabolism!  It is bad enough when MDs ( Allopathic physicians, who are not trusted by true believers in natural healing) make such statements, but Dr. D’Adamo is a second generation Naturopathic physician.  Actually he presents the case that there are four broadly defined diets, exercise regimens, and personalities which correlate to the four major human blood types of Group O, A, B & AB with variations based on RH factor (+ or -) and MN Group.

Where did he get such ideas and what does he base them on?  Apparently his father, Dr. James D’Adamo, N.D. began to suspect a correlation between blood types and how his patients responded to a strict vegetarian diet in the late 1950s.  He kept careful notes which supported his theory, but it took another generation and the interest of cancer researchers in food lectins to provide the proof of his theory.  Dr. P.J. D’Adamo also provides a fascinating anthropological explanation for this correlation based on what human beings were eating and how we were gathering our food at the time the various blood types evolved.  I have taken several college level courses in anatomy, physiology, genetics and developmental anatomy, yet Dr. D’Adamo was the first to tell me when the various blood types evolved!  Did you know for instance, that the AB blood type didn’t exist a little over 1,000 years ago?  The author lays out four diets based on your basic blood type with foods that are either highly beneficial, neutral or to be avoided.  Even if you should be a vegetarian there are probably certain fruits, nuts, and vegetables you should avoid.  Read this book and find out why he recommends that Bs avoid chicken.

He admits that individual diet is more complex than that and if you really want to know you need a comprehensive test.  This is the first diet book that makes sense to me. I have never bought the ‘One Vegetarian Diet’ fits all idea.  I have recommended this book to several friends.  Many have lost weight without restricting calories.  An ongoing informal survey of my massage clients suggests that the broad guidelines outlined by Dr. D’Adamo are valid.  I highly recommend this book.

Don Gillmore, Licensed Massage Therapist(15 yrs), B.S.- Life Sciences