OCTOBER 18, 2011 CHANGE=FEAR= DISEASE

"The key to change ... is to let go of fear."

Change can be challenging. Change is fearful for most of us. Change could mean a new dwelling, a new relationship, new work, or letting go of an old relationship. It could mean positive changes in your overall health. Change is good. Some individuals are incapable of changing. Here is somthing to keep in mind: Only you can change. You cannot expect others in your life to change. If you have expectations of others changing, you most likely-- if not definitely will be disappointed.

The aim of any treatment for an individual is CHANGE. It is changing the body's ability to deal with pressure. The pressure is usually caused by the wrong dietary lifestyle and other stresses. I want to help the individual achieve a state of health and vitality so the body can deal with the symptoms instead of attacking the symptoms. Disagreement or conflict can manifest as arthritis symptoms. Dr. Sarno wrote a great book outlining back pain and what I call psychological disharmony.

For instance if you look at life with a tense, intensive and/or defensive attitude, you are feeding disease-- especially arthritis . You can reduce bone on bone pain by reducing friction in your life.

Improving the emotional/psychosocial aspects of your life is a tremendous help when you find yourself combating a disease. This is not saying that conventional drugs, herbs and supplements will not work for your arthritis. They all will work, but you will be much better if you change your attitude towards life. You also need to change your dietary lifestyle from acidic to alkaline.

Do you get a cup of coffee as soon as you wake up? If you do you must change that! You need to consume protein first and then if you wish, the cup of coffee (without sugar). Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit and fewer processed foods. Drinking a cup of water with fresh lemon squeezed into it will help reduce the acidity in your body. Citrus fruits, in spite of their citric acid appear to have an alkaline reaction in the body. Eat leafy green vegetables, too.

There are many herbs used for arthritis. Many herbalists use white willow bark, ginger, tumeric and boswellia. I use these too, but I have found other herbal formulas as well. I have started to use the following mixtures of herbal teas for arthritis. I find them to be effective for my patients as well as for myself.

I combine Celery seed, black cohosh, meadowsweet and yarrow together. I sometimes add white willow bark to reduce inflammation. Last night I did not sleep well due to lower back pain. As you have read, much of our healing happens during sleep. I had to get up and make a cup of passion flower tea with 5 drops of valerian to fall asleep.

Examine your psychosocial lifestyle (addictions, meditation, self esteem, anger and resentments).

Make necessary lifestyle changes--dietary, exercise and psychosocial--to support a healthier life.

GRATITUDE NOT ATTITUDE

Photograph: White willow tree

Until tomorrow...

JULY 12, 2011 FORGIVE THE ARTHRITIS

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."

- Paul Boese

I do believe we all have the capacity to forgive. Some may forgive more than others. I feel I never forgave some that may have done me wrong in the past. I always kept these people in the data bank in my subconscious. In the last 6 months I have been working on forgiveness. To forgive is enlightening. It does make the future easier. Easier on the heart. I have found that if I forgive from my heart, it means 'to me' that I have done my part. In a way it is tied in with an amends to that particular person, place or thing. I am practicing forgiveness on a daily basis. I need these lessons. We all need these lessons

Did you practice forgiveness today?

The aching is more than in the emotional heart.

Who doesn't have an ache now and then! I do. I am in the 50 year old plus crowd, and I do have arthritis. My father and grandfather had arthritis. I know my dad had arthritis from his work as a truckologist (his term for a truck driver). Wouldn't you rather take a supplement or herb instead of the Alleve, Advil, or one of the other anti inflammatory medications?

There are many supplements and herbs I utilize for those aching bones and cartilage problems.

The first one is glucosamine. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that helps build all the major cushioning ingredients of the synovial fluid (fluid around the joint). There is extensive research indicating that glucosamine helps produce glycosaminoglycans. The glcosaminoglycans act like mortar that holds collagen fibers of the cartilage structure together. In order to produce hyaluronic acid which is needed for the synovial fluid--glucosamine is required. The hyaluronic acid serves to reduce the wear and tear on the joints. I find glucosamine and hyaluronic acid to be the most important supplements for knees.

Another substance which is not reguarly discussed is Cetylmyristoleate. I started to use cetylM while working with the late Dr. Robert Atkins. Although you might know him from his diet, he did write a most beneficial book called The Vita-nutrient Solution. In this book he describes the use of high dose CetylM. It is one of the unique fatty acid esters. This unique fatty acid ester helps reduce joint pain and increase mobility. There are double- blind placebo controlled human studies on cetylM revealing a 70% improvement in arthritic sympotoms after a 3 month administration of cetylM compared to placebo.

The next supplement which stirs up many conversations is Collagen hydrolysate. We do know that collagen is the major protein found in articular cartilage. There are few studies to support collagen.

There are also herbs for arthritis. Examples are white willow bark, boswelia, and many more.
There are great research studies on herbs used in arthritis. The white willow bark has been used for centuries as a natural pain reliever. The salicylic acid in white willow bark lowers the level of prostaglandins, hormone like compounds that can cause aches, pain and inflammation. The body metabolizes the salicylic differently than aspirin so it doesn't cause stomach bleeding.

Until tomorrow...