Category: Our Origins

“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”          – Jamie Oliver

 

Did you know that obesity is defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher?

Did you know that there are approximately 79 million U.S. adults that are obese?

Did you know that obesity has gone from being a curiosity to that of an epidemic?

Did you know that the agribusiness provides $300 billion in snacks worldwide?

Did you know that in 1980 no state had an obesity rate higher than 15%?

Did you know that in 2013 Pennsylvania had an obesity rate higher than 29%?

Did you know that in 2013 West Virginia had an obesity rate higher than 34%?

Why the obesity rate increase? To put it simply we are being fattened like cattle on a feedlot.

In the United States, most cattle come from feedlots where they are fed a diet of corn and other grains. These grains wreak havoc on a cow’s digestive system so they are fed daily rations of antibiotics. Cows, with their four-compartment stomachs, were designed to consume grass and not the seeds of grasses (grains). Humans lack a cow’s digestive system; therefore, we are not meant to eat grass.

Out of desperation 10,000 years ago, humans learned how to prepare the grains so that they could survive another day, week, or month during periods of food scarcity. What happened next to our ancestors was pervasive tooth decay, nutrient deficiencies like iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and folate; reduction in height, and scurvy. Anthropologists have known this fact for years.

Fast-forward to today, a trip down the center isles of a grocery store, and you will see countless products made with the so called “healthy whole grains”. The seeds of wheat, corn, and rice combined make up 50 percent of our diet; they have been puffed, sugar coated, flaked, dried, sprouted, or crisped like widgets on a factory line. In his book Wheat Belly Total Health, Dr. William Davis states “we have become a grass seed-consuming species, a development enthusiastically applauded by agencies such as the USDA, which advises us that increasing our consumption to 60 percent of calories or higher is a laudable dietary goal.” But as we’ve discussed before, our digestive system was developed over 2.5 million years ago to process fruits, vegetables, nuts and meat. We have evolved very little to properly handle the consumption of seeds from grasses. These seeds wreak havoc on our digestive system as they contain proteins that open the tight junctions between the cells of the intestinal lining (“leaky gut”) allowing parasites, bacteria, viruses, food particles, etc. to enter our bodies causing inflammation (more) and possibly falling victim to one or more of the approximately 160 autoimmune conditions.

“One-quarter of what you eat keeps you alive. The other three-quarters keeps your doctor alive.”

– Ancient Egyptian Proverb

In addition, grains have proteins called lectins which by design sicken or kill creatures like insects, molds, and fungi that feed on them. Most plant lectins are harmless to humans but not those from the seeds of grasses. According to Dr. Davis, “if you have inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease, grain lectins intensify the inflammation, making cramps, diarrhea, bleeding, and poor nutrient absorption worse.” The lectins from rye, barley, bulgur, triticale, and sorghum also fit into this category of being harmful to humans even if you don’t have an inflammatory bowel condition.

Grains also contain a type of opiate that can cause us to eat up to 1,000 calories more per day and cravings for the carbohydrates found in cookies, corn chips, pretzels, and other processed snacks. Eliminate the grains and you eliminate the calories, cravings, obesity and modern health concerns. This is not the teachings from Dr. William Davis alone, but from the books of many who can be found listed under the heading Inspiration on this website.

Click here for post references.

For my next post, we will look at obesity’s tandem partner: diabetes.

Click here if you wish to see how your state ranked on the map of obesity prevalence.

Click here to watch the trailer for Food, Inc. and see how corporations are contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Click here to watch the trailer for Food Matters. Uncovering the sickness industry.

Click here to watch Jamie Oliver’s Ted Prize wish: Teach Every Child About Food

“Obesity Rates Decline As Kids Gain Access to More Fruits and Veggies” Click here to learn more.

Click here to review Brazil’s new dietary guidelines emphasizing nutritious whole foods.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

Follow me on Twitter: Ken Pledger@KenPledger to view new information or participate in discussions that are relative to the topics on this website.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

A new study conducted by the Stanford School of Medicine shows that a common antihistamine, loratadine, may help kill the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which causes Lyme disease. It does this by preventing the metal, manganese (Mn), from entering the cell wall of the bacteria. The bacteria needs the manganese for certain metabolic processes and without the trace metal the bacteria starves to death. The bacteria scavenges this metal from blood circulating in the human body.

Although the report does not provide how much of the antihistamine we need to take to ward off Lyme disease, the research is promising as there are about 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year. I will continue to update this post as more information is obtained.

Click here to review post reference.

For my next post, we will look at the obesity epidemic

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

We have all heard that healthcare cost are soaring, that chronic illness is on the rise, but did you know that there are 465,000 preventable deaths in the U.S. per year?

Did you know that more than 109 million Americans have one of these seven diseases: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, mental disorder, hypertension, pulmonary conditions or stroke?

Did you know that physicians are better trained to treat acute illnesses than chronic illnesses?

Did you know that physicians do not get paid to teach us about the benefits of diet, exercise or eliminating cigarettes?

So who is responsible? I believe we are responsible for our own health and education.

So how do we get there? By starting with this website and others. We can expand our knowledge of health through the vast amounts of literature available from leading research scientists. We can get involved with health programs or start our own health initiative.

I came away from the 2015 “Go Local for Health” Community Wellness Summit knowing that there are many passionate people out there providing programs in support of health in or near our communities. This is a real movement where individuals, businesses and local governments are making positive changes. So let’s get involved and help to support these programs. It could make a difference in your life or someone you love. So please don’t wait!!!

Chambersburg

The Power of Produce (POP) program brings families and farmers together at participating farmers markets. The program started in Oregon, replicated throughout the country and is here in Franklin County.  The program teaches children, 4 through 12 years of age, about healthy food choices through educational activities like cooking demonstrations and food sampling. Each child receives a two dollar token weekly to spend on fresh produce. Parents find the program beneficial as children typically ask for the produce they have tried at the POP program. The POP program opens in downtown Chambersburg at the North Square Farmers Market on Memorial Day from 8 AM to Noon. Contact: www.hcpfranklinpa.org/KidsPOP.html

Dillsburg

The South Central Pennsylvania Harvest Hub will connect local growers to 42 schools and nearly 25,000 students in the Adams, Cumberland and York counties. The program will support the local agricultural community while improving the health of students through school lunches and educational gardening projects. October will be known as National Farm to School Month (F2S). Carol Richwine, an AG teacher of 27 years, is passionate about this project and she is spearheading this initiative through her school in Dillsburg.  She can be contacted through paharvesthub.gmail. Additional information about this program can be found at www.morningagclips.com/farm-to-school-grant/

Mercersburg

Elizabeth George, M.D. co-founded the Mercersburg Area Council for Wellness (MACWell) an organization promoting community health through construction of walking trails. By walking 30 minutes per day this will reduce by 50% many of the illnesses we face today. Contact: www.mac4wellness.org

York

Kevin Alvarnaz, Director of Community Health, Wellspan Health looks to engage a population of 40,000 people with access to 30 local parks. The city’s issue was that health enthusiast were the only ones using the parks and bike trails. So, how to get other segments of the population involved? The idea arose for people to take pictures of what’s healthy and what’s not, and then they were asked why they took that picture? In this way, effective changes could be made to promote physical activity and healthy eating for others in the community. Contact: www.eatplaybreatheyork.org

Our keynote speaker was Dr. William Sullivan, a landscape architect, from the University of Illinois. He had this to say “The conditions of modern living – work and life pressures – threaten the health and well-being of millions of Americans. Can we shift our perspective from treating the symptoms to proactively working to shape healthy individuals and communities? Yes, we can! There is mounting scientific evidence that one path to wellness passes through the nature near you. Some of the research has produced startling results: individuals who have more exposure to nature live longer, are less likely to produce low-birth-weight babies, and engage in less aggression and violence.” In addition, views of green space from the classroom significantly improved the attention span of school students, and more kids were bound for college if there cafeteria looked out at a green space.

Additional support for this topic can be found at Attention Restoration Theory or on this website at Forest Therapy and Stress.

Below are some additional topics presented and their websites for more information:

“Get Your Tail on the Trail: Leveraging Outdoor Recreation to Improve Community Wellness. Contact: www.tailonthetrail.org

Food for Thought: Improving Access to Local, Healthy Foods through Innovative Partnerships. Contact: www.thegleaningproject.org

Plugging In to Get Unplugged: Leveraging Online Resources for Outdoor Experiences. Contact: www.getoutdoorspa.org

Hiking and recreation in other counties of Pennsylvania. Contact: www.pavisnet.com/hiking/

 

The statistics presented above were taken from The Rise of Chronic Diseases in America – The Future of Healthcare Delivery.

For my next post, we will revisit Lyme disease as there may be a new development.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

Follow me on Twitter: Ken Pledger@KenPledger to view new information or participate in discussions that are relative to the topics on this website.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

There is a common theme that I hear and read about coming from conventional medical doctors. That message is they lack and wish to receive more training regarding nutrition. In addition, there is frustration by both doctors and patients with the current insurance model of 15 minutes per patient. That’s not enough time for the patient to communicate all of their symptoms and for the doctor to properly diagnose the problem. This is especially true when it comes to chronic diseases and there is much literature out there sharing these two messages. Patients are having to visit multiple specialists in an effort to find relief from their symptoms.

Another issue with our current medical system is more research money is spent on treating symptoms and drugs to treat those symptoms than on research for creating optimal health. But those drugs come with a host of side effects and are usually quite expensive. I have personal knowledge of this, as the oncologist couldn’t explain how my mother developed breast cancer, he could only prescribe medications to treat her symptoms and try to eradicate the cancer. This failed with a tremendous financial burden.

Early adoption of new research is slow to be accepted by medical professionals. It wasn’t all that long ago that stomachs were removed because of bleeding ulcers instead of using antibiotics or that unwashed hands of the delivery doctors were causing the death of mothers after their babies were born. The cause was puerperal sepsis. Even the prevention of scurvy, a fatal disease to sailors, took 40+ years for the Royal Navy to adopt. So why should we think it’s different now?

I recently heard of a young man who was told by his surgeon that his Crohn’s disease was not diet related. I am troubled by this as the disease is also referred to as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We know that 70% of our immune system resides in the gut and the consumption of grains causes inflammation (more). So why would the surgeon say that Crohn’s disease is not diet related?

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America reported the following statistics for Crohn’s disease:

• Approximately 30% of patients who have surgery experience recurrence of their symptoms within three years and up to 60% will have recurrence within ten years.

• In 2010, there were 187,000 hospitalizations.

• In 2004, there were 1.1 million ambulatory care visits (visits made to office-based health care providers, outpatient clinics, and emergency departments).

• In 2004, there were 1.8 million prescriptions written for medications.

• Approximately, 780,000 Americans currently have Crohn’s disease with approximately 33,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year.

• The estimated annual direct cost of IBD (both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) in the United States is estimated to be between $11 billion to $28 billion.

• The diagnosis can occur at any age but usually seen between the ages of 15 and 35.

According to Dr. Richard I. Horowitz:

• Digestive disorders have been cited as the second leading cause of absenteeism from the workplace.

• An NIH study says that sixty to seventy million people have diagnosable digestive disorders in the United States; and over a quarter of a million people die from GI diseases (including cancer) yearly.

The symptoms for Crohn’s disease are: persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps and pain, and constipation. Also, there could be delayed growth and development in younger children. General symptoms may include: loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, fever, night sweats and loss of normal menstrual cycle.

According to Dr. Amy Myers the typical medications prescribed for Crohn’s disease and their side effects are:

• Prednisone which can cause: nausea, vomiting, heartburn, irregular heartbeat, depression, increased blood sugar and possible allergic reaction. Like the disease it can also cause fever, sweating, muscle pain or cramps, and loss of appetite.

• The side effects for the drug Humira are: tuberculosis, hepatitis B, cancer, heart failure, numbness, tingling, nausea, headaches to name a few.

According to Dr. Terry Wahls an unrecognized gluten (from grains) and/or casein (from milk) sensitivity has been associated with a wide variety of health problems including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). She states “that once they go gluten- and dairy-free, their abdominal discomfort dramatically improves.”

According to Paul Jaminet, PH.D and Shou-Ching Jaminet, PH.D. “Infections of the small intestine, which typically cause small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), Crohn’s disease, and acid reflux/GERD, will typically benefit from avoidance of fructose and other simple sugars. Since food passes through the small intestine fairly quickly, simple sugars are the most available to small intestinal pathogens. Glucose is the least dangerous sugar, since it is well absorbed by the human cells of the small intestine.” Also, legumes (such as beans and peanuts) which are rich in toxins can be dangerous if not properly detoxified.

According to both doctors Michael R. Eades and Mary Dan Eades “A diet high in grains can cause a fermentation in the intestine that can, in turn, cause inflammation that weakens the tight junctions between the cells that line the tract. From this damage, “leaks” develop that allow prohibited substances-such as incompletely digested plant proteins-through the barrier.

These plant proteins, called lectins, cause trouble once absorbed into the bloodstream because their structure is so similar to the structure of body proteins; some of them are like the proteins in joint surface tissues, others like the filtering apparatus of the kidneys, and still others like the covering of nerves. Because they are the same but foreign, the lectins attract the attention of the immune-defense system, which attacks them; unfortunately, once stimulated, the immune system may then mistakenly attack the body tissues they resemble, causing a host of disorders ranging from readily identifiable diseases (such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune kidney disorders) to less obvious problems ranging from rashes to allergies to asthma.

All plants have proteins that can behave as lectins, but most are not overtly harmful. The worst offenders are the lectins from grains, especially wheat and corn, but also problematic are those from dried beans, such as kidney beans. Removal of these foods from the diet may be important to us all, but it is especially important for people at risk for autoimmune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, glomerulonephritis, and, potentially, others).”

Dr. Jefferey S. Bland has a four step R program to address the fundamental imbalance in the physiological process known as assimilation-elimination.

Step 1: Remove all food allergens or food substances that produce sensitivities like: grain, dairy, soy, citrus, peanuts, eggs and shellfish.

Step 2: Replace by taking a digestive enzyme supplement before meals to improve digestion and absorption.

Step 3: Reinoculate by taking a probiotic supplement with the organisms of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus which has proven safe and effective for improving digestive function.

Step 4: Repair by taking a supplement of nutrients that can support the healing of the intestinal mucosal barrier. “The most important of these are zinc (15 milligrams), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5, 500 milligrams), omega-3 fish oils (2 to 3 grams), and the amino acids L-glutamine (5 grams) and magnesium (200 milligrams), along with a B-complex nutritional supplement.”

While it may take years for common agreement and support by all medical practitioners, I believe there is substantial evidence that diet plays a more significant role in all autoimmune disorders including Crohn’s disease. If you suffer with such a disease, find yourself being shuffled from specialist to specialist to resolve your symptoms, then I would encourage you to launch your own investigation. Perhaps even contact one of the doctors, I have quoted from above, to help you. I wish you much success and wellness!

Click here for post references.

For my next post, I will share what I learned at the “GO LOCAL For Health” Community Wellness Summit held on Friday, May 1.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

Follow me on Twitter: Ken Pledger@KenPledger to view new information or participate in discussions that are relative to the topics on this website.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

In the previous post, we briefly discussed the life cycle of the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis and some of the symptoms of Lyme disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. However, properly diagnosing Lyme disease without the telltale rash and using inadequate testing can be very challenging for doctors.

• In a 1996 New York State Department of Health study of 1,535 Lyme disease patients, 81% of the patients who did not produce a rash did not test positive using the combined ELISA and Western blot tests.

• In 2005 another study was published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, Dr. Antonella Marangoni found discrepant results in three different commercially available ELISA tests using the same blood sample.

• In 2007 another study was published in the British Medical Journal, Dr. Ray Stricker and Lorraine Johnson found the combined ELISA and Western blot tests to have overall sensitivity of 56%.

• Dr. Amy Myers (author of The Autoimmune Solution: Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Diseases) prefers the iSpot Lyme test for its accuracy. She contends the combined ELISA and Western blot tests have produced too many false negatives meaning the patients did have Lyme disease.

• In a 2006 study conducted for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scientists demonstrated that early detection and treatment of Lyme disease resulted in a one time “burden of disease” cost of less than $1,500. However, if the patient was not diagnosed early and became sicker, then the BOD cost soared to over $16,000 per year for many years.

• Dr. Richard Horowitz (author of Why Can’t I Get Better) uses the approach that there can be 16 categories of illness associated with Lyme disease. Also, he noted that 25% of his patients who were treated early for Lyme disease appeared to develop chronic symptoms. In addition, he found that many Lyme disease patients with co-infections have severe concentration and memory issues.

Once a patient is found to have Lyme disease, then conventional medicine prescribes a course of antibiotics from 2 to 4 weeks. However, the length of treatment has become hotly debated for “chronic” Lyme disease. As a result, some doctors have lost their medical license for extending antibiotic treatments beyond the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s (IDSA) guidelines, some HMO’s believe “chronic” Lyme disease doesn’t exist, numerous patients have needlessly suffered with what is known as “chronic” or “post-Lyme syndrome”, Connecticut conducted antitrust investigations against insurance companies and the IDSA guidelines, and states like California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island have enacted laws to protect licensed physicians who dispense longer-term antibiotics to patients with Lyme disease.

According to Dr. Richard Horowitz, Lyme disease can cause many neuropsychiatric disorders like seizures, migraine headaches, uncontrolled anger, and cognitive deficits; can be associated with Tourette’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, and can mimic autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and many other illnesses commonly seen in medical practices today.

Doctors are taught to look for one cause for all the patient’s symptoms, HMO’s dictate 15 minutes per patient, so combining these two models may be an impossible task for a doctor to formulate a diagnosis. Dr. Horowitz has a solution! He has compiled a comprehensive list of questions for his patients to answer so he can determine the probability of Lyme disease. If you believe you have Lyme disease, you can begin by answering the questions on page 34 through 37 from his book Why Can’t I Get Better? : Solving the Mystery of Lyme & Chronic Disease. Once you have completed these questions take them and your answers to your doctor. Additionally, you will find a chapter called the Horowitz Sixteen-Point Differential Diagnostic Map listing symptoms, possible related medical conditions and laboratory testing to consider that begins on page 68 through 80.

This book comes highly recommended by Dr. David Perlmutter, author of Grain Brain, Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The Blood Sugar Solution, Pamela Weintraub, author of Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic, and others. The book contains Dr. Richard I. Horowitz’s knowledge from his medical practice of more than twenty-six years, treating over twelve thousand patients for which most did not have “pure” Lyme disease and condensing that information into 500+ easy to understand pages.

Click here to see the video clip Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease

Click here to review post references.

For my next post, we will look at Crohn’s disease.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

Follow me on Twitter: Ken Pledger@KenPledger to view new information or participate in discussions that are relative to the topics on this website.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

Did you know there are 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year?

Did you know children from Lyme, Connecticut developed rheumatoid arthritis after seeing a rash where a tick bite occurred?

Did you know the Mid-Atlantic States are one of the most concentrated areas for Lyme disease?

Did you know that the state of Pennsylvania leads with about 74,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year?

Did you know the telltale rash shows up in only about 70% of the cases?

Did you know if left untreated, Lyme disease causes damage to joints, nervous system and the heart?

Did you know ages 5 to 9 year old boys are more likely to contract the disease?

Do you know what symptoms to look for?

Lyme disease (an infectious disease growing quickly throughout North America and Europe) is transmitted from the female bite of the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis as she takes a blood meal before laying her eggs. She typically lays her eggs between Memorial Day and the end of July. Young boys ages 5 to 9 are most susceptible as they play along wooded edges where the female tick lays in wait. Despite the name, deer tick, the tick actual becomes infected with the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, when the tick’s larval stage consumes a blood meal to grow. This occurs when the larvae attaches itself to an infective rodent such as a white-footed mouse, shrew, mole, chipmunk or other rodent. Deer and horses become carriers of the mating ticks and may provide the blood meal before egg laying. The female tick dies off after she lays her eggs. Lyme disease is not transmitted by other ticks such as “dog tick” or the “wood tick”.

Although difficult to see as the tick is about the size of a pin-head, infection is usually accompanied by flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, joint pain, stiff neck, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue. In about 70% of cases, a rash (sometimes looking like a bull’s eye) will develop at the bite site and range in size from that of a dime to covering an individual’s entire back. If a rash is not present, then blood tests are used to look for antibodies fighting the infection. The two common blood test are ELISA and Western blot which the doctor may order three to four weeks after the suspected start of infection. This gives the body time to produce enough antibodies to be detectable.

A few years ago, I had a very personal experience with a small brown spot on my forearm. I thought it was a scab at first but could not remember the cause. As I picked at it further, I realized it was a tiny tick. If I had taken the time and perhaps a magnifying glass, then I might have identified it as a blacklegged tick as the unfed female has the unique orange-red colored body. As it was, I removed the tick with a pair of tweezers pulling up from and as close to the skin as possible, then applied an antiseptic to prevent infection. Afterward, I called my doctor who prescribed doxycycline. I took the antibiotic for two weeks as a precautionary. I’m not sure how long the tick had been there, but believed it had not been there for very long. It’s said that a tick would have to be feeding for three to four days before infecting a person with Lyme disease. This gives a person ample time to inspect their body for ticks. Even your pets can carry these ticks into the home. The vet said our dog, Keiko, tested positive for Lyme disease.

If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause painful and swollen joints especially with the knees, temporary paralysis of facial muscles, poor coordination, change in mood, concentration problems, dizziness, heart palpitations and sleep issues.

Some prevailing myths about Lyme disease are: that it is not curable, that tests are not able to detect the infection after several years and that every tick bite results in Lyme disease. Dr. Andrew Nowalk, assistant professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg of UPMC and University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, counters these myths with: the disease can be cured, the test are “actually quite good at detecting people who’ve been infected for some time” and “it’s actually a really small minority of tick bites that might transmit Lyme.”

Click here to review post references.

Click here to learn of more reasons to watch for ticks.

“Your Kid Could Have Lyme Disease And You Might Not Even Know It” Click here to learn more.

For my next post, we will look at the Chronic Lyme Disease Controversy

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

Spring has arrived! With this post, we will look at Spring’s companion, seasonal allergies, and how to cope. As I mentioned before, I suffered greatly with an allergic response to pollen when I was a teenager and into my twenties. Mid-May to mid-June was the most difficult time. I tried all sorts of drugstore remedies but none gave me the relief I needed. In what I thought to be an unrelated event, I attended a presentation about the benefits of chiropractic care. I was quite surprised to hear the doctor say he could help with seasonal allergies. In need of a more effective solution, I explored this possibility with the chiropractor.

The first thing he had me do was take a blood test called the ELISA test which stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Basically the test identifies food allergens through the body’s immune response system. I was not surprised to find sugar on the list as I had quite the sweet tooth and a penchant for Oreo cookies. On that list were my other staples like: apples, bananas, whole wheat flour (gluten) and other items which I have since forgotten. Other than the cookies, I thought I had a reasonably healthy diet. So in fairness to this experiment, I became very disciplined and stayed away from sugary products and the other foods on the list. I even learned how to bake gluten-free bread (or as my wife called them, hockey pucks).

When mid-May arrived, the results were astonishing. I went through the season relatively symptom free. There were only two instances where an allergic backlash occurred. Each time was after succumbing to a hot fudge brownie sundae at the restaurant where my brother worked. These two occasions were proof enough for me. I remained determined to stay away from all forms of sugar and wheat products leading up to and including my allergy season. By following this protocol, I have not had a significant allergic response to pollen since then.

Could it be that my immune system was so overwhelmed, from the foods I was regularly eating, that pollen was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back?

To be clear, I went through this improvement, in response to pollen, long before I heard about Paleo. But this is the premise behind the Paleo/Primal movement. By eliminating certain foods, you can heal the gut and symptoms that result from chronic inflammation. Medical doctors like Terry Wahls and Amy Myers chronicled their experiences using the Paleo template to alleviate their own more serious autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Graves’ disease, respectively. In her book “The Autoimmune Solution” Amy Myers, M.D. notes seasonal allergies as a sign of poor gut health. If you have been following my post, then remember too that a large portion of our immune system resides in the gut. To quote from the movie Origins “health starts in the gut.”

So, how are you or loved ones going to cope with the upcoming allergy season?

I’m speaking to the more than 35 million Americans who suffer each year from pollen related allergy symptoms. Like myself, you could test for foods that cause your immune system to activate, start by researching what foods others (in the Paleo/Primal community) have eliminated to heal their gut, continue with drugstore remedies or see an allergist for a prescribed medication if symptoms become worse.

Regarding drugstore remedies, Dr. John Cohn, an allergist in the Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital recommends antihistamines. He prefers the long-acting non-sedating type such as Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine) and Zyterc (certirizine). Dr. Jonathan Spergel, Chief of the Allergy Section at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, says all three forms of these antihistamines come in liquid form making them safe for children. Dr. Cohn warns against decongestants as they can be habit forming and cause nasal damage if taken more than three to five consecutive days. Also, he states that decongestants have the greatest potential for side effects such as tremors, prostate issues, blood pressure and sleep troubles. Dr. Spergel is concerned most about the use of Afrin (a topical nasal decongestant). He recommends using a saline nasal spray to flush out the pollen. When kids come in for the night, he recommends they shower and change clothes so they are not breathing in pollen all night long.

Other recommendations include wearing a dust mask when outdoors, drying your clothes in a dryer and not on an outside line, using a HEPA filter on your air conditioner or furnace and staying indoors between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM when pollen counts are usually higher. Keep in mind that pollen can travel on the wind more than 100 miles from its source.

Whichever therapy you choose, I wish you well with the upcoming allergy season.

Click here to review post references.

For my next post, we will look at Lyme disease.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

We have talked about stress and how chronic stress elevates our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which can lead to many types of diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, Alzheimer’s disease, aging, and early death. So, what options do we have? The one most familiar to us would be to consult with our medical doctor to see what drugs he/she might prescribe to combat the symptoms we are facing. But in many cases, the medications only treat the symptoms and do not deal with the underlying problem(s). In addition, these drugs may come with side effects that makes using them less desirable. For example, even something like Motrin (ibuprofen) used to treat muscle pain, inflammation and headaches can cause heartburn, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, gas, diarrhea, constipation and stomach pain. For me, this brings to mind the Huey Lewis and the News song recorded in the 80’s entitled “I Want a New Drug”.

That option doesn’t sound so good, so what’s our next option? As we have discussed before, the research has shown there are more natural ways to deal with stress, help the body’s healing process and eliminate the potential for life threatening diseases. Some of these practices are as old as recorded history or older. I have explained, in previous post, the importance of the following:

Movement – such as taking a hike can reduce stress. The working tissues draw nutrients and oxygen in, and expel toxins and other metabolic waste.

Forest Therapy – by walking through a wooded area for twenty minutes, we will breathe in the beneficial chemicals emitted by trees. These chemicals will provide a calming effect on us and they will lower our blood pressure and pulse rate.

Massage – can eliminate the stress caused by pain and improve the quality of our sleep. Some hospitals are using this as a form of postsurgical pain management.

Meditation – in as little as five minutes, mindful meditation can reduce mind chatter and minimize stress in dealing with pain.

Sleep – is the time for our body’s rejuvenation. By improving the quality and length of time for sleep, we can reduce our chances for cancer, depression, heart and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Grounding – like our computers we are electrical beings. Through barefoot contact to the Earth, we open ourselves to the free electrons that will bring our bodies back into balance, allow healing and reduce inflammation. As discussed in the post on Inflammation, this is the common thread for most life threatening diseases.

Sun Exposure – if given a chance our largest organ (the skin) will meet the body’s need for vitamin D through photosynthesis. As noted before, breast cancer has been labeled the “vitamin D deficiency syndrome”. This deficiency also puts us at greater risk for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cardiovascular diseases and other forms of cancer.

Grain Consumption – before the arrival of farming (grain production) about 10,000 years ago, our predecessors consumed meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. By eliminating our consumption of modern grains which cause inflammation, we can improve our health and reduce the likelihood for cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental health diseases, gastrointestinal problems and many autoimmune conditions. There are many books, written by medical doctors, supporting this message. They themselves, having some form of autoimmune disease, were failed by conventional medicine. Some of these books can be found listed on my website under the heading: Inspiration.

If we were to incorporate these forms of therapy listed above into our daily lives (making them habits), we would have an outlet for dealing with stress and other chronic issues. If you are dealing with some of these conditions now, then perhaps working with a functional medicine doctor would be best to ensure you are doing everything possible to remedy your condition. A practitioner can be found at The Institute for Functional Medicine. Here the doctor will look at your body as a whole since all parts are in constant communication with one another, and how your lifestyle maybe impacting your gene expression.

With Spring upon us, we will look at coping with seasonal allergies in next week’s post.

Click here to review post references.

Click here to view “The Widowmaker” trailer. How some doctors in the medical community treat a heart attack which is another preventable disease.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

 

This post is for educational purposes. The author of this instructional post is not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any adverse effects arising directly or indirectly as a result of the information in this post. Reading the information in this post does not create a physician-patient relationship. The author is not a licensed practitioner, physician, or medical professional and offers no medical treatments, diagnoses, suggestions, or counseling. Full medical clearance from a licensed physician should be obtained before beginning or modifying any diet, exercise, or lifestyle program, and physicians should be informed of all nutritional changes.

 

What is massage?
Massage is the manipulation of skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments by pressing and rubbing. A massage therapist will use their fingers, palms and hands to apply the pressure and stroke. They may even use their elbows, forearms and possibly their feet to apply the manipulation.

Early evidence of massage therapy dates back to Mesopotamia (c. 3100 BC). Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization. From Mesopotamia, to a picture representing massage therapy on the Tomb of Akmanthor in Egypt (c. 2330 BC), to recordings in Traditional Chinese Medicine (c. 722 – 481) and the Sanskrit records of India (c. 500 – 50), massage therapy has been practiced.

Massage therapy is fairly new to the United States having been introduced by two New York physicians during the 19th century. By 2014, massage therapy has become roughly a $12 billion industry in the U.S. with approximately 33 million adults having at least one massage between July 2013 and July 2014. “According to the U.S. Department of Labor in 2012, employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 23 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than average for all occupations.”

Massage therapy is an effective treatment for reducing muscle tension and cramping, depression and anxiety; pain management including that produced by migraine headaches. It improves circulation by moving nutrients and oxygen into the tissues and vital organs; as well as, stimulates lymph flow and reduces localized swelling thereby enhancing the immune system. Massage therapy is also beneficial in alleviating low-back pain and increasing joint flexibility. It improves sleep quality, mental concentration and helps alleviate cancer-related fatigue. Hospitals are using massage practitioners as an adjunct to the postsurgical recovery process and pain management. Businesses, airports and clinics are offering access to massage practitioners as well.

Some common types of massage are:
• Trigger point massage that focuses on tight muscles fibers that have been injured or overused.
• Deep massage that works on damaged muscles by using more-forceful strokes to reach deeper muscle layers and connective tissue.
• Swedish massage or “classic massage” is the most common type that uses long gentle strokes, deep circular movements, kneading and tapping to relax you. This technique has shown to be useful in pain reduction and joint stiffness.
• Sports massage or manipulative therapy that’s used to prevent or treat injuries due to sport activities. Similar to Swedish massage. It includes kneading and manipulation of muscles, joint manipulation and joint mobilization.

There are many types of oils used for lubrication. Some common types are coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, sesame oil, pecan oil, grape seed oil and baby oil.

So try a massage, you may find yourself waking up after a most peaceful and relaxing session!

Massage is not recommended for people with bleeding disorders, deep vein thrombosis, those taking blood thinners or have damaged blood vessel, bones weakened by cancer, fractures or fever.

 

Click here to find a massage therapist near you.

Click here to review post references.

Click here to return to post on Eight Habits.

For my next post, we will look at eight habits we can do for a more happy and healthy life.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.

Buddha was asked, “What have you gained from meditation?” He replied “Nothing!” “However, Buddha said, let me tell you what I lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear of Old Age, and Death.”

How old is meditation? There is a belief that our hunter-gatherer ancestors may have used a form of meditation when hunting prey.  To be successful, their senses needed to be on high alert while their bodies’ remained motionless for long periods of time. The written record of meditation goes back some 4,000 years ago, can be found in many religions including Christianity, and used by most of the Martial Arts to increase concentration and power. Meditation is resting more deeply while remaining awake and alert. It’s a time for rest and renewal.

Mindful meditation (a powerful stress-management tool) can be done in as little as 5 minutes by focusing on breath. Thinking is a major part of meditation. As thoughts vie for your attention, you acknowledge them, and then let them go to focus on your breath again. This technique helps to cut mind chatter, and proven beneficial for patients dealing with cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and type 2 diabetes. This form of stress-management can be performed by nearly everybody, and you do not need to sit cross-legged. You can sit on a chair, stand, walk, or lay down.

Active meditation (like the martial arts, yoga, and tai chi) improves optimism, reduces cortisol levels (stress), and decreases depression and anxiety.

“Meditation is all about the pursuit of nothingness. It’s like the ultimate rest. It’s better than the best sleep you ever had. It’s a quieting of the mind.”

Hugh Jackman

 

Many large corporations are offering a meditation room or “quiet room” for their employees. By doing so, the employee can manage stress on their terms, and the company acknowledges workforce well-being as a priority. According to a 2009 Ohio State University study, by providing such space, companies can increase productivity while reducing workplace injuries, and number of sick days used. Companies that give such space are: Prentice Hall Publishing, Deutsche Bank, Procter & Gamble, HBO, and Google. If you wish to add your company to this list, then please comment or email to the address below. Let’s grow this list!

The meditation technique, I will begin tomorrow morning, and do for one month, is called the Hot-Cold Shower. Here are the steps:
• Breathe in the smell while shampooing.
• Take longer with your head under the water. Enjoy some conscious breaths with the water streaming over your hair.
• Let the water massage your neck while you breathe consciously.
• Take longer shaving or toweling.
• Rub lotion all over your body.
After you have gotten into that, perhaps after a few days, experiment with turning the water on cool at the end. Do that for a few days, then gradually make the water cooler and cooler. “It can take a month to be able to handle a cold shower even for ten seconds and have it be pleasurable. As you get used to it gradually, the shock becomes invigorating rather than painful.” For this and other suggested techniques, Meditation Made Easy by Lorin Roche, PH.D., is a great resource.

What meditation technique will you begin or are currently using?

Click here to review post references.

Click here to return to post on Eight Habits.

For my next post, we will look at the benefits of massage.

If you would like to share your comments about this post, then please contact me at myorigins@kenpledger.com or leave a comment below.

If you found the information helpful, please share with your friends and family.