Empowered Patient Blog
Air Purification for Optimal Health
It’s harder to breathe easy these days.
You may think indoor air quality is an issue only in developing countries, where particulate matter from the burning of biomass such as wood or charcoal was estimated to result in 1.5 to 2 million deaths in the year 2000, but chemical off-gassing from modern homes and airborne environmental pollutants have made air purification a necessity for optimal health.
Burn Away the Winter Blues
It’s winter in Wisconsin. The nights are long, and the days are cold. With the glow of the holidays past, we hunker down for the deep freeze and think warm thoughts of lush gardens and summer days at the beach.
The cold can give rise to stagnancy. We socialize less, aren’t as active, and have the tendency to eat more out of boredom. Many also experience a letdown after the holiday season as the excitement abruptly ends and we return to our normal routine.
Living with a Small Bowel Obstruction
In February 2015 I was diagnosed with a small bowel obstruction (SBO), secondary to lymphoma. An enlarged lymph node was encroaching into the luminal space of the intestinal wall, causing an intussusception whereby the small bowel starts to telescope into itself. This blocks the passage of food and drink, resulting in severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
The Problem with GcMAF
One of the new players in the holistic treatment of cancer is a compound called Gc protein-derived macrophage activating factor (GcMAF). As the name implies, this naturally occurring protein activates macrophages, an innate element of immune function. GcMAF can be deactivated by the enzyme alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (nagalase), which is produced by cancer cells and viruses.
Breathing Yourself to Better Health
You may not think the mundane act of breathing could be a powerful influencer of health and disease, but there are many instances where a breathing pattern disorder is a major contributing factor to chronic illness.
The rate, depth, and intensity of respiration all can have a profound effect on the nervous system, which in turn regulates heart rhythm, stress hormone release, and digestive function.
Guns and Drugs May Be Bad for Your Health
Opioid use and gun violence have reached epidemic levels here in the United States. At the root of each often lie addiction and mental illness. Going deeper, at the very core one will usually find insecurity and a lack of social connectedness that must be acknowledged in order to heal from and curtail the ravages of these addictions.
Bentonite Clay: Eating Earth for Optimal Gastrointestinal Health
The practice of consuming clay is prehistoric, with references to its medical use documented by Hippocrates.
Bentonite is the most common form of medicinal clay available and is used as a base for some prescription medicines. Although bentonite can be used externally as a poultice, it is most commonly recommended as a gentle therapy to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract.
The Ethics of Eating Meat
The ethics of eating meat extend beyond the ascribed relations of humans to livestock and humans to game.
Life consumes life, and as omnivores, we cannot separate ourselves from this fundamental, underlying ecological truth. As such, our consumption of food, whether mineral, plant, fungal, or animal in origination, must be related to in the larger context of how all species have survived over the millennia.
Liver: The Working Class Hero of Superfoods
Hunter-gatherer societies valued organ meats over muscle meats, often reserving organ meats for the pregnant and breastfeeding women of the tribe. Mature modern cultures with refined culinary traditions also praise the delicacy of organ meats. These preferences are driven by taste, but looking deeper, our evolutionary hardwiring carries a keen natural wisdom.
Coffee: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Coffee has been a traditional drink of equatorial peoples for hundreds of years. Its dark roasted flavor and stimulant effect have drawn countless adherents to the church of buzz and prompted the growth of a sizable market for coffee-related paraphernalia. Our relationship with coffee can be one of extremes, from casual enjoyment to chemical addiction, predicated upon whether coffee is consumed as a food or as a drug.
How Essential Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are an ancient medicine. They have not been used as long as herbal medicine, given the distillation technology necessary to derive the oil, but their roots are still very old. There is documented use by Islamic physicians in the 12th century and purported use (as resins) by ancient Egyptians prior to that.
Magnesium Oil Is a Muscle’s Best Friend
Magnesium oil is an inexpensive remedy that can effectively treat several health problems associated with magnesium deficiency.
As a topical treatment, transdermal magnesium therapy has a key advantage over the oral form as magnesium is absorbed and utilized in the area of application. Both leg cramps and restless legs are strongly associated with magnesium deficiency and respond favorably and quickly to daily use of magnesium oil.
Light Therapy: The Power of the Sun in the Palm of Your Hand
Within the earliest traditions of healing you’ll find dietary and herbal therapy, bodywork in various forms, and light therapy. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, recommended exposing the body to sunlight (in sun gardens or solariums) for healing and rejuvenation. Similar modalities can be found throughout many of the world’s ancient civilizations.
The Apple Cider Vinegar Cure?
You may have heard anecdotes about apple cider vinegar treating just about everything except death. Though not a miracle remedy, raw and organic apple cider vinegar does have a lot of therapeutic applications. It is inexpensive, readily accessible, and has a long shelf life, so no kitchen cupboard should be without it.
Breaking Down Digestion
Digestion is a magnificently complex process requiring extensive interactions among several organ systems, yet one need not be a physiologist to garner an appreciation of the basics of the human digestive system. Knowledge of the inner workings of one’s gut can be an enlightening area of study, engendering thoughtful consideration of the old adage “You are what you eat.”