Research Finds Antioxidants May Be the Flu’s Achilles Heel

In a study published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, researchers found that antioxidants may hold the key to preventing the flu from wreaking havoc on our lungs. It is generally recognized that antioxidants are powerful nutrients that protect your health by fighting against free radicals in the body, preventing damage from oxidation. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons. These unpaired electrons cause them to be highly available for bonding and can damage important tissues.

In this study, the researchers found that the flu virus damages the lungs through a protein called M2, which attacks the cells that line the inner surface of the lungs (epithelial cells). They discovered that the M2 protein disrupts the epithelial cells’ ability to remove liquid from inside the lungs, which can lead to pneumonia and other lung problems. However, antioxidants were able to prevent the M2 protein from damaging the epithelial cells.

In this study, antioxidant-like drugs were used to stop the destruction of the epithelial cells, however, it offers an intriguing glimpse into how dietary antioxidants probably work naturally.

Dr. Victor Bachinsky, a forensic pathologist and head of the Chernivtsi Regional Forensic Bureau, who has studied the lethal outbreak of influenza in the Ukraine, states that antibiotics are useless and that only those with a strong immune system will survive.

Antioxidants are the natural builders of the immune system. Enrich you diet with food sources that are high in antioxidants:

• Fruits: All berries, but especially cranberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, Acai berry juice, and red grapes
• Vegetables: Beans, artichokes, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, carrots, peppers, snow peas, chard, mustard and turnip greens, alfalfa sprouts, and whole grains
• Nuts: All nuts especially walnuts and hazelnuts (best if soaked to deactivate the enzymes that interfere with digestion and then dried)
• Spices: Ground cloves, ground cinnamon, oregano, and garlic
• Other: Tea (both green or black), bee pollen (best if local)
• Vitamins: The antioxidant vitamins are C (be careful-taking too much C in megadoses can deplete your Copper concentrations, however over short periods of time the body can tolerate megadoses), D (get tested to see how much you should be taking) and E (400IU/day – again be careful – too much E, which is stored in the tissues, can be toxic)

Improvement Reaction a.k.a. Healing Crisis

In Eastern medicine and in Europe’s development of homeopathy, the phenomenon called a healing crisis, or Herxheimer Reaction, is well known and understood to be a positive sign that the intervention being used is having the desired effect. When the body begins to detoxify and heal itself, it sometimes cannot eliminate the toxins released fast enough and certain symptoms can appear. These symptoms usually last only 1 to 3 days, but can sometimes be intense.

In Western medicine symptoms of any sort are considered bad and the focus is to supress or eliminate them. Give us a pill and make us feel better! Most of us in this country have grown up without the concept that our bodies have the ability to heal themselves and that the body has its own process for accomplishing that task. However, as people have become aware of toxicity and the disease that can be caused from it building up in the body, various methods of cleansing the body are becoming popular. As a result of using cleanses people are becoming more familiar with how the body responds by eliminating toxins and are more aware of the potential for healing crises.

Bodywork of any sort, energy work, fasting, and improvements in the quality of nutrition can all cause improvement reactions. SCENAR can cause them. In Russia creating an “exacerbation” is desired, and is understood by the patient to be a good thing. In this country, with most people being unfamiliar with healing reactions, we were trained to conduct the sessions in a way so as to not, as much as possible,  create them. This slows down the healing process some, but does not surprise clients with an experience they are unfamiliar with. If a person does not know that what they are experiencing denotes healing, they may think they are getting worse. A small number of our clients have had them and usually the best way to quickly resolve the reaction is to do another treatment as soon as possible. Even without that, the symptoms usually resolve in a day or two.

Typical symptoms of a healing crisis can be:

• flu like aches and pains
• joint or muscle aches
• muscle cramps
• increased pain where the original complaint was
• malaise
• intense emotional states
• skin eruptions
• gastrointestinal disturbances

A healing crisis is a reaction to previously sequestered toxins in the body being systemically released. Such poisons can be stored in all kinds of tissues, primarily muscle, fascia, and adipose (fat). During a treatment these poisons are released from the tissues as the body begins to heal itself, and enter the blood stream. The sudden increase of toxins in the blood causes a toxicity reaction until the body is able to effectively process and eliminate them. While not a pleasant experience, a healing crisis signifies that a cleansing and purifying process is underway.

There are things you can do to help ease the symptoms a healing crisis:

• Take the homeopathic remedy Arnica Montana (3-5 pellets placed under the tongue) which can be purchased at most health food stores. You can also use Arnica gel applied locally to sore or painful areas. If you use homeopathics avoid Camphor in any form (lip balms, athletic/sports rubs and liniments such as Ben-Gay, and some sore throat lozenges). Camphor offsets the effects of homeopathics.
• Drink 1/2 ounce of pure room temeperature or slightly warm water per pound of body weight per day: e.g., a 150 lb person should drink 75 ounces/day (a little more than 2 quarts per day).
• Alkalinize your tissues. Nearly all improvement reactions occur in overly acidic tissues. Toxins are typically acidic. Drink water with fresh squeezed lemon and eat alkalinizing foods such as greens, fruit, cucumber, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, onions, beets, and pears. Keep your diet as simple as possible.
• Take a hot bath with detoxifying salts such as Epsom salts to reduce muscle soreness.
• Do non-strenuous, light exercise such as a relaxed walk, gentle yoga, or stretching.
• Rest if you feel the need. Pamper yourself. Listen to your body. Don’t “push through.” Your body is working hard to heal. Honor that.
• Maintain good bowel function. Many liberated toxins are detoxified by the liver and eliminated through the gastrointestinal tract usually within 24 hours or so.

A true healing involves cleansing at all levels, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Due to the body’s fascinating ability to store emotions and memories in the tissues, their recollection or release can accompany manipulation of those tissues. The surfacing of memories or emotions without physical symptoms signal an emotional release. An emotional release is often a component of a healing crisis. Most people have some emotional issues or trauma in their life times. These are stored by the body in the nervous system. During any form of bodywork it is possible to release these stored issues. An emotional release may give rise to feelings of anger, grief, or other emotions. This release is indicative of a healthful body transformation, where the body clears itself of the negativity stored within.

Learning to surpress our emotions typcially causes them to go into our physical body tissues. The tensing of neck muscles will prohibit frowning, holding one’s breath can replace crying, and jaw clenching may stifle yelling. Emotional suppression with repetition can become habit and the body becomes a storehouse of unconscious and unexpressed feelings. Suppressed emotions are a key factor in muscle tension and pain.

The release of physical and emotional toxicity followed by restoration and renewal is what healing is all about, and the welcoming of this transformation opens the door to leading a healthier, more conscious, life.

An Excellent Complement to SCENAR Therapy-The Alexander Technique

Because SCENAR is so complementary to other modalities, we are always looking for ways our clients can augment and facilitate what we are doing related to relieving their pain. There are times when the pain we are treating is based in structural issues or ways in which our clients are habitually using their muscles. The SCENAR can re-educate the muscles to resume their natural positions with resulting pain relief, but these changes can be overridden by old postural habit patterns set up in the body, and the pain can return. In chronic situations, consistent and frequent SCENAR treatment can over time shift the body into healthier muscle use patterns. Typically, our clients are interested in what they can do to help themselves and we often give them ideas about things they can do to improve the way they use their bodies. But, we recently encountered something that has the potential to give our clients a way to support what we are doing with SCENAR as well as learn how to use their muscles and bodies in ways that promote health and prevent any recurrence of pain.

One of the things we love about the field of natural medicine is the numerous alternatives that we are exposed to that promote health and well being. I have a personal interest in this because of having had polio with residual paralysis of my left foot. Needless to say, wearing a brace on my left lower leg sets me up for all manner of improper muscle use all over my body and all the varieties of pain from my neck down to my feet that result from that. Complicating that is Post Polio Syndrome which is caused by the death of motor neurons damaged in the initial polio infection that have been overused for a lifetime. A progressive condition, I was told early on that I would end up in a wheelchair. I believe SCENAR has slowed that progression and it is a God send for managing the pain I encounter from living in this wounded temple. Now I have found another incredible tool that will help me assist my body even further.

The Alexander Technique was developed over a hundred years ago by F. Matthias Alexander, a young Australian actor, who discovered that unconscious habits of posture and movement can interfere with the performance of normal activities. Originally used by performers involved in music, dance, drama, and opera, it has now gone mainstream and is used as a practical method to promote body awareness, flexibility, energy conservation, and ease in daily activities. The technique engages the thinking process and refines an individual’s ability to perceive the way they move. Through observation, experimentation, and an Alexander teacher’s guidance, habitual muscular tension and awkward or inefficient movement patterns are reduced or eliminated. The stress and demands of modern life have fostered a virtual epidemic of neck, back, and other problems related to misaligned posture and improperly tensed muscles. The method is considered not a therapy, but an educational process, whereby awareness can be brought to an area of tension in the body and that tension can be consciously released allowing the muscles to resume their normal positioning. The Alexander Technique empowers and enables people of any age to make positive, lasting changes in their personal movement patterns that can be applied to daily functional activities such as walking, stair climbing, moving in and out of chairs, bending, and reaching as well as the more complex movement tasks of work, sports, or the performing arts.

We found out about this technique through Michele Drivon who learned to be an Alexander teacher through three years of training in California. She was interested in how SCENAR could compliment her work, just as we were interested in how her work could benefit our clients. Because of my personal situation, I’ve been working with her individually and have been impressed with the helpful learning experience it has proven to be (for more information on my personal experience, go to the Healing Tips page). We are happy to recommend her to anyone who has pain related to muscle tension and postural issues. She can be reached at 828-712-2804.

Another Tool for Your Health Arsenal

Here is a “home remedy” that you may not have encountered. It was passed along to us by a friend who is incredibly knowledgeable about natural and homeopathic remedies. She hasn’t taken a pharmaceutical in 40 years! She swears by this remedy and that’s good enough for us! The remedy comes from an Ecuadorian Medicine Woman.

“Magic” Syrup For Colds, Coughs, Sore Throats, Flu, Bronchitis, and Sinusitis

Ingredients:

• 3 large onions
• 1 bunch of radishes
• 10-12 large garlic cloves
• one 2-inch piece of fresh peeled horseradish
• 3-5 lemons
• 3-5 limes
• honey

(Organic ingredients are best, especially the lemon peel, but this is not essential.)

Grate the onions, radishes, garlic, and horseradish, on the medium side of a grater (if you don’t have a grater, chop the ingredients very finely). If the garlic is chopped rather than graded, mash the small pieces as well to release some of the juice.

Add finely grated peel (outside yellow and inner white layers) of one large lemon. Put all ingredients (including the juices) in a large bowl or jar. Completely cover all ingredients with equal amounts of fresh lime juice and lemon juice (the number of limes and lemons needed will depend on how juicy they are – probably 3-5 of each).

Cover bowl or jar tightly and leave on counter over night (at least 8 to 10 hours).

After 8-10 hours press mixture through a medium screen sieve, so that a little of the finer texture goes through with the liquid. Discard the remaining solids.

Heat, but don’t boil, about 1/8 cup of the above liquid to dissolve 3 level tablespoons of honey in it. (Preferably local honey where you live.)

When dissolved, add honey mixture to rest of liquid in a large covered jar and shake well. Put in the refrigerator.

Take two tablespoons of this liquid 5-6 times a day and if you awaken at night.

This amount should last 4-6 days.

Note: it is a good idea to make this up ahead of time (it stores up to 4 months in the fridge) so you can take it at the first sign of illness, instead of waiting 8 -10 hours for it to be ready.

A Recommendation

What has been posted about herbs to use for immunity boosting and easing the symptoms of colds and flu has been gathered from researching the web. I am by no means an expert in the world of treating disease with herbs. However, one of the teachers we experienced at the Wise Women’s Herbal Conference, is. Thus we are excited to recommend her to anyone interested in using herbs for health and healing. Go to the Healing Tips page to learn more about Mimi Hernadez. We have provided the link to her website so you can explore for yourself what she offers.

More Advice on Staying Healthy and Treating the Flu Naturally

Just posted new information from a Naturopath in San Francisco. Go to the “Healing Tips” page and scroll to the bottom. More tools to give you the edge in staying healthy.

Dr. Andrew Weil Pushes Prevention

The Charlotte Observer wrote a story about Dr. Andrew Weil who will be in Charlotte next Tuesday to speak at Queens University of Charlotte about his new book, Why Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future. The article is well written, and it may be worth one’s while to go to Charlotte to see him. Read the article here

Neutralize The Negative Effects of Vaccines

Just found out that a local Naturopathic Doctor here in Asheville, has put together a homeopathic kit that will neutralize or help neutralize the negaive effects of all vaccines. Kits are $15 (plus shipping if necessary) and comes with directions for use. If interested, you can get them from Dr. Steven Coward. His office location is 54 Merrimon Ave. and the number is 828-254-3004.

Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference

Next weekend, October 2-4, is the annual Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference. Featured speaker is Susan Weed. Days of classes, educational walks, and intensives are planned. If you are interested in living closer to the earth and exploring the native plant resources for health and well being, you don’t want to miss this conference! Doubtless, there will be a great deal of information about using herbs to boost one’s immune system and stay healthy during this flu season. For more information go to www.sewisewomen.com/index.php

Healing Innovations will be at the conference. Because SCENAR is so complementary with any other modality used for health and well being, we will be there to provide free demonstration sessions to conference participants. If you have been interested in trying out the SCENAR, here is a free opportunity. You can also put your name in a drawing for three free sessions – a $195 value! Coupons will also be given to interested participants for two sessions at a reduced cost.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Natural Hand Sanitizer

Used to be you only saw hand sanitizer in the doctor’a office, but anymore, you see it sitting out everywhere. If you are concerned about using the harsh chemical sanitizers, there is a natural one made of essential oils. It is commonly called Thieves Oil and is made of  the anti-viral and anti- bacterial clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils. It can be purchased from Young Living Oil for $41.78 for a 15ml bottle. Or you can make it yourself by mixing equal parts of the oils and adding the mixture to a carrier oil such as jojoba or olive oil. One tablespoon of the mixture to 1.5 ounces of carrier oil is recommended. These essential oils are potent, so test a small amount on sensitive skin areas. If the skin feels hot, add more carrier oil to the mixture.

The name comes from the Middle Ages when Europe was being ravaged by the Black Plague. The story goes that four perfumers (or spice traders) would douse themselves with a mixture of the above oils and then rob the dead of their valuables. They never got the Plague.

Thieves Oil has many applications. It can be diffused in your office or home. The aroma will remind you of Christmas. The amount of diffusion time recommended is twenty minutes. As a hand sanitizer, place one drop in your palm and rub your hands together. Or before you leave home, put one to three drops into one palm and rub your palms together. Cup your hands close to your face and inhale the aroma of the oil deeply. Rub some at the hair line on the back of the neck. Rub the rest on the bottom of each foot. This will boost the immune system as well as provide protection. You can find more information on Thieves Oil at www.thieves-oil.com