Body

A Deep Dive Into Cold Water Therapy

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cold water therapy, cold water therapy benefits, circulating cold water therapy system, cold water immersion therapy

Cold water therapy is the practice of exposing oneself to very cold or icy water for therapeutic benefit.  It’s become a recent hot trend – no pun intended.  But it’s has been around for a very long time.  In fact, it is said that Hippocrates recorded his experiences in 370 BC.

We know that when we sustain an injury like a sprained ankle the first thing we do is put an ice pack on it to reduce the swelling.  So, we know that it has an anti-inflammatory affect, which could be extrapolated to broader inflammatory conditions, but there seems to be many more benefits.

The physiological effect of cold water therapy is said to be facilitated by the Vagus nerve and adaptation of hormones (Jungmann et al., 2018; Lange et al., 2008; Metzger et al., 2000; Polizzi, 2019).

Benefits of Cold Water Therapy

  • Boosts the immune system – exposing the body to cold water might allow the body to become more resilient to stressors.  In reading about cold water therapy, one of the studies cited was a 2019 proof of concept trial. A group of researchers from the Netherlands found that combining cold exposure and breathing exercises elicited an enhanced immune response from study participants. With the stimulation of the Vagus nerve, the inflammatory responses in the body are reduced so it stimulates the body to heal and boosts the body’s immune response to fight off disease and infection.  “This beneficial response may be what reduces symptoms and inflammatory markers present in blood from autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.”
  • Recovering from exercise – a group of researchers in Hong Kong found that cold water immersion after frequent exercise led to decreased pain and inflammation for up to 24 hours after the workout.
  • Improves metabolic function – there’s some research that suggests that cold exposure can actually increase your metabolic output.  Cold therapy is said to stimulate the growth of brown fat and decrease white fat.  Brown fat increases energy burning which can contribute to weight loss.
  • Mental Wellness – immersing yourself in ice water takes a lot of courage so the act alone requires focus, dedication and commitment, a lot like meditation. And by now, we should all know the benefits of meditation. Studies indicate that cold therapy reduces depression, anxiety, and stress as well as improving mood and general brain function.  During exposure to cold the brain releases norepinephrine, which is shown to reduce depression and anxiety. Also, heart rate and heart rate variability decrease while the body is exposed to cold which is linked to reductions in stress. Mood and brain function improve through stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system.   (Galliera et al., 2013; Hayashi et al., 1997; Jungmann et al., 2018; Kinoshita et al., 2006; Lange et al., 2008; Metzger et al., 2000; Misiak & Kiejna, 2012; Polizzi, 2019; Rymaszewska et al., 2020).  Wim Hof, known for his breathing and cold water exposure methods,  was put in a special temperature-controlled suit and placed in both an fMRI and a PET scanner. Results showed activation of areas in the brain associated with pain suppression, self-reflection and well-being, in particular the periaqueductal gray area (PAG).  This may have implications for “lifestyle interventions that might ameliorate multiple clinical syndromes.” (2018, Muzik et. al.).

Check out this video from wimhofmethod.com https://youtu.be/YficBlvPwWQ

cold water therapy, cold water therapy benefits, circulating cold water therapy system, cold water immersion therapyTypes of Cold Water Therapy

  • Cold Showers – A quick and simple way to expose yourself to cold water, taking a cold shower may offer some benefits. However, your average shower can’t produce water that’s as cold as an ice bath.  But it’s a good way to start and work up to conditioning yourself to taking the next step.
  • Cold Water Immersion – Cold water immersion can take many forms. But, the basic practice involves sitting in a tub or container of cold water (usually under 50ºF/10ºC) for 5 minutes or less.
  • Ice Baths – Ice baths are a type of cold water therapy that involves immersing oneself in a container icy water for a short period of time. Ice baths usually involve very cold temperatures that can take a while to get used to.
  • Cryotherapy – Cryotherapy is a relatively new type of cold therapy. It involves exposing oneself to extreme cold for very brief periods of time as a way to recover from intense exercise.

Caution

Cold water therapy is not for everyone and people will react differently to it so it is very important to make sure that you consult your healthcare practitioner before attempting it.

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/cold-therapy

icebarrel.com

The Catastrophic Connection Between Parasites and Your Gut

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parasitic infection, parasitic infection symptoms, what is a parasitic infection, parasitic skin infection

After talking to a friend who experiences gut issues on an infrequent but regular basis, the thought of a possible parasitic infection came into the conversation. So I decided to take a deeper look at this and discovered that a parasitic infection could cause a host of random symptoms that mimic other diseases.

What is a Parasite?

Let’s first classify what a parasite is.  A parasite is an organism that lives by feeding off another organism, usually called the host. Parasites can cause harm to the host by feeding on it or consuming some of the host’s food, resulting in a range of unpleasant symptoms and health conditions.

We usually would attribute parasitic infections to under-developed parts of the world due to low or lack of sanitation standards and clean water.  But although developed areas have low rates of parasitic infection, that doesn’t mean they are completely eradicated.

So even if you have clean water and modern sanitation you could still run into these pesky critters.  Parasites can be transmitted through water, dirt, blood (insect bites), undercooked food, even from your pet.

What Do Parasites Do?

Parasites make you feel ill because they release toxins into your bloodstream and can cause symptoms similar to various gut conditions. From sydneygutclinic.com “While some parasites don’t cause noticeable symptoms, some grow, reproduce or invade healthy functioning systems, making their hosts sick, resulting in parasitic infection. For instance, some parasites may consume your food and leave you hungry after meals, resulting in an inability to gain weight. Others may feed off your red blood cells causing anaemia or lay eggs resulting in itching, irritability, and even insomnia.”

Symptoms of Parasitic Infection

Sydneyguthealth.com lists a variety of symptoms from parasitic infections that could easily be misdiagnosed. So I thought it would be important to list these symptoms to educate readers who are struggling with their health and have not yet looked into parasitic infections.

“The signs and symptoms of infections caused by a parasite vary depending on the organism that’s residing in your body. Some of the most common signs of a parasitic infection include:”

  • Stomach cramps and pain
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dehydration
  • Weight loss
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Digestive problems including unexplained constipation, diarrhoea or persistent gas
  • Skin issues such as rashes, eczema, hives, and itching
  • Continuous muscle and joint pain
  • Fatigue, even when you get enough sleep
  • Depression or feeling of apathetic
  • Never feeling full, even after a big meal
  • Constant hunger, even when you’re eating enough
  • Iron deficiency/anaemia
  • Grinding your teeth during sleep
  • Unexplained feelings of anxiety
  • Recurrent yeast infections
  • Itching of the anus or vagina
  • Itching, redness, irritation, and an unusual discharge from the genital area
  • Trouble falling asleep or waking up multiple times during the night

Symptoms such as sleeping irregularities, skin irritation, mood changes, and muscle pain can all be caused by the toxins released by the parasites into your bloodstream. These toxins could even cause anxiety, which tends to manifest itself in irregular sleeping patterns or teeth grinding. You may also experience mood swings or skin irritation when these toxins interact with the neurotransmitters or blood cells in your body.

Paleoleap.com says “There’s some evidence that apparently unrelated diseases like fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome might have a link to parasitic infections. This study found that people with inflammatory bowel diseases (especially ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) were more likely to be infected with a certain type of parasite (blastocystis, a protozoan infection) than healthy controls.”

They also note that “gastrointestinal parasites are very tricky to deal with because they can be completely asymptomatic for years before flaring up. Sometimes, they can also cause intermittent symptoms that disappear and come back again and again. This paper, for example, describes how infection with the common parasite giardia often causes long-term symptoms that never seem to go away for good.”

As with anything to do with your health, it is always important to consult a healthcare practitioner.  When it comes your gut, having tests done by a gastroenterologist will determine whether or not you have a parasitic infection.  A proper diet that is rich in probiotics or probiotic supplements and digestive enzymes is a good idea.  Reducing or eliminating sugar is always a good choice regardless of the illness you may be experiencing.

https://sydneygutclinic.com/the-main-symptoms-of-parasitic-infection/

https://paleoleap.com/persistent-gut-problems-sure-isnt-parasite/

5 Important Reasons To Use Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste

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hydroxyapatite, hydroxyapatite toothpaste, calcium hydroxyapatite, nano hydroxyapatite

Hydroxyapatite in its natural form, is a type of calcium. Pure hydroxyapatite is white in color. It makes up most of the human bone structure and is a major component of teeth.  This form of calcium is what give bones and teeth their rigidity.

Uses for Hydroxyapatite

Research in non-medical uses include air filtration to remove carbon dioxide and a filter to remove fluoride from saturated soil. But where hydroxyapatite has really grown in popularity is in its medical uses.

A form of hydroxyapatite called nano hydroxyapatite is commonly used in joint replacement and dental surgeries because it encourages new bone growth and the body is less likely to reject implants.  It also helps to anchor new implants more effectively.

Calcium supplements of hydroxyapatite have shown early promise for maintaining bone health better than calcium carbonate supplements, although more research in this area is needed.

Hydroxyapatite toothpaste

Tooth enamel is almost all hydroxyapatite. So, using it for oral care makes sense.  More importantly it is nontoxic! A study comparing fluoride toothpaste to hydroxyapatite toothpaste showed an equal outcome of re-mineralizing and preventing demineralization.  So why not go with the nontoxic hydroxyapatite that your teeth are made of anyway?

Regular use of hydroxyapatite toothpaste can help healthy teeth stay healthy and avoid becoming demineralized in the first place.

Not only does it help to re-mineralize damaged teeth but it can also help to minimize the bacteria involved in the formation of cavities. Using hydroxyapatite toothpaste helps protect your teeth from acid produced by bacteria without adversely affecting your oral microbiome.

Typical toothpastes on the market contain fluoride which is bactericidal.  This means that it kills all bacteria in the mouth.  But the mouth, much like our gut has a microbiome that is naturally there to keep our mouths healthy.  Additives like chlorhexidine, triclosan, or alcohol may temporarily reduce bacterial overgrowth issues, but they can lead to other health problems over time.

hydroxyapatite, hydroxyapatite toothpaste, calcium hydroxyapatite, nano hydroxyapatite

Helps With Dental Implants/Fillings

In an article on Carifree.com the author states “Dental implants that are coated in nano hydroxyapatite encourage bone growth and implant more effectively than non-coated implants. It can be added to dental filling agents used to repair serious cavities. It also has been shown to reduce or eliminate tooth sensitivity after whitening. It also can improve outcomes with dental implants much like it can with bone implants in the rest of the body. It has become an important tool in the periodontal and oral surgery specialties.”

Whitens Teeth

One of the benefits of using hydroxyapatite toothpaste is an increased whitening effect.

It Is Resistant to Acidic PH

The pH of the mouth should always be slightly alkaline to prevent inflammation and oral disease. Hydroxyapatite toothpaste helps teeth become more resistant to acidic pH in the mouth, which would otherwise break down enamel faster.

It May Improve Gum Health

Using HAp toothpaste may help improve and strengthen gum and dental health in patients with gum disease. Improvements include dental plaque control, pocket depth, and bleeding gums.

The best way to use hydroxyapatite toothpaste is to leave it on your teeth after brushing, in other words, no rinsing

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41405-019-0026-8

https://carifree.com/blog/common-uses-of-hydroxyapatite-and-how-it-can-affect-your-teeth/

https://www.mewmouth.com/blog/hydroxyapatite-toothpaste/

https:/askthedentist.com/hydroxyapatite-toothpaste/

 

Breathe In A Better Life, Literally

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holotropic breathwork, breathwork breathwork training, breathwork techniques

By now, I’m sure most of us have heard that breathwork – the art of controlling your breath or focusing on your breath is good for us.  But even though I knew that I wanted to know why because when we understand the why behind something, it makes it easier to incorporate into our lives.

What is Breathwork?

Breathwork is a general term for any type of focused, intentional breathing exercises.  This meditational practice works to promote spiritual, mental and physical well-being.

Types of Breathwork

It appears there are many types of breathwork.  We’ll take a look at a few, but there are many others that are worth taking a look at.

  • Shamanic Breathwork – a form of rhythmical breathing that begins with smudging, chanting and setting an intention. Participants breathe to the rhythm of drum and will connect to their inner healer (Shaman).  The intention is to reach a state of consciousness beyond just your mind so that you can not only heal but empower yourself.
  • Wim Hof – Wim Hof developed breathing exercises to maximize oxygen levels which in turn benefit the body’s functions at the molecular level both chemically and physiologically. The exercise starts with a series of deep breaths in and out followed by a breath hold and then a recovery breath. This is repeated a number of times.
  • Pranayama – One of the oldest forms of breathwork, dating back at least 5000 years. According to artofliving.org, Prana’ refers to the universal life force and ‘ayama’ means to regulate or lengthen. These ancient yogic seers observed the power of the breath to increase one’s prana and developed special breathing techniques to increase life energy, maintain health and create a calm, clear state of mind that is conducive for meditation. Pranayama is not just breath control as commonly perceived, but it is the control of prana through the breath. These techniques involve breathing through the nostrils in a specific pattern of inhalation, breath retention, exhalation. Some common yoga breathing exercises include Ujjayi breathing, Bhastrika pranayama, Bhramari pranayama, and Nadi Shodhan pranayama (alternate nostril breathing)

Benefits of Breathwork

So why is it that breathing exercises are so beneficial?   Breathing is part of the autonomic nervous system.  This system is what controls involuntary activities –  the pumping of the hear, digestion etc.  There are two parts to the autonomic nervous system – Sympathetic and Parasympathetic.  The sympathetic nervous system is our “flight or fight” responses.  The parasympathetic is what controls the “rest and relax” responses. The parasympathetic side decreases alertness, blood pressure, and heart rate, and helps with calmness, relaxation, and digestion. Breathing is unique in that it is part of the autonomic nervous system, but we can control it as well.  And by controlling our breathing we allow the parasympathetic side to take take the wheel so to speak. By doing so it can positively influence our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  Studies show that controlled breathing i.e breathwork can help with stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, ADD, PTSD, low energy, cardiovascular problems.

When we talk about the parasympathetic nervous system it’s important to include the Vagus nerve because it is an instrumental part of why breathwork has the affects that it does.  Breathwork stimulates the Vagus nerve.

holotropic breathwork, breathwork breathwork training, breathwork techniques

What is the Vagus Nerve?

This cranial nerve originates in the brainstem and travels through the neck into the abdomen.  It carries signals back and forth from the brain to the digestive system and other organs.  So, by controlled breathing, particularly extending the exhale, we stimulate the vagus nerve.  The vagus nerve stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relax)

The vagus nerve effects:

  • Communication between the brain and the gut:  It delivers information from the gut to the brain.  And we know how closely our gut health is linked to our immune health
  • Relaxation with deep breathing: It communicates with the diaphragm. With deep breaths, a person feels more relaxed.
  • Decreasing inflammation: It sends an anti-inflammatory signal to other parts of the body.
  • Lowering the heart rate and blood pressure: If the vagus nerve is overactive, it can lead to the heart being unable to pump enough blood around the body. In some cases, excessive vagus nerve activity can cause loss of consciousness and organ damage.
  • Fear management: It nerve sends information from the gut to the brain, which is linked to dealing with stress, anxiety and fear – hence the saying, “gut feeling.” These signals help a person to recover from stressful and scary situations.

In an article from Medical News Today,  they write “With the Vagus nerve having pathways to almost every organ in the body, researchers are looking to see if stimulation can help other conditions. “These conditions include:

  • rheumatoid arthritis inflammation
  • heart failure
  • inflammation from diabetes mellitus
  • intractable hiccups
  • abnormal heart rhythm
  • inflammation from Crohn’s disease

In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, which affects 1.3 million adults in the U.S., a study in 2016 showed that vagus nerve stimulation could help reduce symptoms. Individuals who had failed to respond to other treatment reported significant improvements, while no serious adverse side effects were noted.

This was considered a real breakthrough in how vagus nerve stimulation might not only treat rheumatoid arthritis but other inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s”.

 

Cautions

Advice from lonerwolf.com  gives great general advice:

“Breathwork, for some people, particularly those with pre-existing heart problems, can be dangerous. It’s best to speak to a qualified medical practitioner before attempting any form of breathwork, particularly if your health is fragile.

Pregnant women should also seek professional advice first. Furthermore, some forms of breathwork are best practiced with a qualified practitioner.

Above all, if you feel intense discomfort or feelings of unsafety during this practice (either by yourself or with another person), stop immediately. The beauty of breathwork is that you can stop at any time, and indeed you should stop if at any point it becomes too much for you.”

https://lonerwolf.com/breathwork/

https://ideapod.com/shamanic-breathwork

https://www.artofliving.org/us-en/blog/pranayama-yoga-breathing-techniques#What%20is%20pranayama

https://www.artofliving.org/us-en/research-sudarshan-kriya

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

https://chopra.com/tags/breathwork

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0193953X13000026

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6189422/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318128#Further-research-and-considerations

 

 

 

Viruses Aren’t the Bad Guys and Here’s Why

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In these last 2 years the world’s focus has been on health and not necessarily in a positive light.  Our focus has been on the dangers of viruses, sterilization, wearing masks, isolation and social distancing.  However, I think it’s an important time to talk about the Virome and why it is essential.

What is the Virome?

You might be wondering what a Virome is? Well, just as we have a microbiome made up of trillions of bacteria hanging out within us, so too, do we have viruses.  In fact, the Virome is not only within us but it is also part of our air, water and soil, about 1030 .  , that’s 10 million times more viruses in the air, water, and soil then there are stars in the universe.

What are Viruses?

Viruses are not living organisms, it is a small collection of genetic code, either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein coat. They are secreted from bacteria, fungus, plants, and humans.

The History of Viruses

Viruses helped shape our evolution and make us who we are. The placenta’s formation, for example, is reliant upon a retrovirus gene insert that happened in mammals millions of years ago. We would not have emergence of mammals and mammalian birth without the genomic insert of a retrovirus.  We wouldn’t have a stem cells and their function without a viral insert.

Why Do We Need Them?

More then %50 of the genome that makes up humans and other living organisms are made up of viral inserts into our genome.  So, viruses are a part of our make up, they don’t attack us, they don’t take over our genome.  They are available for genomic updates.  Not every virus that comes into our system is going to be taken up by our genome.  Only a small fraction become part our human genome.  So, there is a constant adaptation of the body to the virome and they become essential to our functions.

The body has been in a state of balance with viruses since the beginning of humankind.  In a newborn- 7 days old, there are 108  viruses in every gram of stool.  This is before the child has its own innate immune system.

Benefits 

In an article from BBC.com the author states that the vast majority of viruses are not pathogenic to humans, and many play integral roles in propping up ecosystems. Others maintain the health of individual organisms – everything from fungi and plants to insects and humans. “We live in a balance, in a perfect equilibrium”, and viruses are a part of that, says Susana Lopez Charretón, a virologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “I think we’d be done without viruses.”

Ecosystems:  viruses keep the delicate balance of life in check in the world’s oceans and other ecosystems.  They regulate bacterial populations. If this delicate balance were disrupted some bacterial populations would disappear while others would proliferate.  When viruses are part of the cycle of balancing life it allows the oxygen-producing plankton to undergo high rates of photosynthesis which sustains life on Earth.

“If we don’t have death, then we have no life, because life is completely dependent on recycling of materials,” says Curtis Suttle, an environmental virologist at the University of British Columbia.

china virus, stomach virus, virus, wuhan virus

Protective to humans: Stated in the article Why the World Needs Viruses to Function on BBC.com…”GB virus C, a common blood-born human virus that is a non-pathogenic distant relative of West Nile virus and dengue fever, is linked to delayed progression to Aids in HIV-positive people. Scientists also found that GB virus C seems to make people infected with Ebola less likely to die.

Likewise, herpes makes mice less susceptible to certain bacterial infections, including the bubonic plague and listeria (a common type of food poisoning). Infecting people with herpesvirus, bubonic plague and listeria to replicate the mouse experiment would be unethical, but the study’s authors suspect that their findings in rodents likely apply to humans”.

These few examples are reminders to us that viruses are not always the bad guy.  In fact, for the most part viruses play and have played an essential role to evolution of humankind and in the delicate balance of earth’s ecosystems.  We mustn’t forget the innate intelligence of nature that has been choreographing this delicate balance of living things for millions of years.

 

https://www.amnh.org/explore/viruses-vaccines-pandemic-science/virus-virome

https://zachbushmd.com/knowledge-virome/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150430170750.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,current%20literature%20on%20beneficial%20viruses.

http://www.eebweb.arizona.edu/faculty/saleska/SWES.410.510/Readings/Suttle2005-NatureVirusReview.pdf

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200617-what-if-all-viruses-disappeared

Why Red Light Therapy is the Secret to Better Health

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red light therapy, red light therapy benefits, red light therapy before and after, red light therapy at home

What is Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is a type of treatment that uses low levels of red or near-infrared light to treat skin, muscle and other parts of the body. You may have also heard it been called Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or low-power laser therapy (LPLT) and photobiomodulation (PBM).

When you are exposed to this light that is not seen but felt as heat, the mitochondria (power generators of your cells) absorb it and makes more energy.  This energy boost energizes cells, creating a ripple effect: as individual cells work better, they improve the functioning of various bodily systems that work together to support healing.

Red light activates stem cells in the bone marrow, which causes the cells to mobilize to the site of the injury. This is important because emerging cells take cues from their neighbors; if new cells take on the characteristics of damaged cells, then they will function as damaged cells. Sending in healthy cells is required to “teach” the emerging cells to adopt the desired characteristics of healthy cells.

The History of Light Therapy

Using light as healing therapy has a long history that dates back to ancient times when they used the sun’s healing rays.  Throughout history we can find examples of light being used in different forms to heal the body and even grow plants in outer space!  So, it should come as no surprise that it’s now used in a wide variety of practices across various sectors of professions.  You can now purchase home devices as well.

Some Uses for Red Light Therapy

  • Dementia: In one small study, people with dementia who got regular near-infrared light therapy on their heads and through their noses for 12 weeks had better memories, slept better, and were angry less often.
  • Dental pain. In another small study, people with temporomandibular dysfunction syndrome had less pain, clicking, and jaw tenderness after red light therapy.
  • Hair Loss. One study found that men and women with androgenetic alopecia (a genetic disorder that causes hair loss) who used an at-home RLT device for 24 weeks grew thicker hair. People in the study who used a fake RLT device didn’t get the same results.
  • Osteoarthritis: One study found red and infrared light therapy cut osteoarthritis-related pain by more than 50%.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1727843/
  • Tendonitis. A very small study of 7 people suggests RLT lessens inflammation and pain in people with Achilles’ tendinitis.
  • Wrinkles and other signs of skin aging and skin damage. Research shows RLT may smooth your skin and help with wrinkles. RLT also helps with acne scars, burns and signs of UV sun damage.  Red light simulates normal functioning in fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen and elastin synthesis. Increasing fibroblast proliferation increases and normalizes collagen and elastin production.
  • Boosting the circulatory system (blood) and the lymphatic system (lymph) supports proper healing. According to a 2017 study by Austrian researchers, red light promotes the proliferationof endothelial cells, which make up capillaries in both the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems.

red light therapy, red light therapy benefits, red light therapy before and after, red light therapy at homeWhat Are the Risks?

Red light therapy is generally considered safe, even though researchers aren’t exactly sure how and why it works. And there are no set rules on how much light to use. Too much light may damage skin tissue, but too little might not work as well.  However, you can find more information on dosing by clicking here https://redlightman.com/blog/complete-guide-light-therapy-dosing/

Where Can You Find It?

It’s usually done in a doctor’s office. But some salons, dental offices and other healthcare practitioners have it, too. You can also buy your own red light therapy device. Do you research before choosing the right option for you and always contact a health care professional.

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/red-light-therapy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926176/

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZKl5Me4XwPj4YgJCBes3VSCJjiVO4XI0tIR0rbMBj08/edit#gid=0

https://www.degreewellness.com/2020/08/research-shows-red-light-therapy-may-aid-memory-recovery-and-prevent-cognitive-decline-from-alzheimers-and-dementia/#:~:text=Lab%20Dementia%20Models%20Show%20Both,levels%20and%20restored%20memory%20function.

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prt/2019/8578703/

https://www.degreewellness.com/2020/01/red-light-therapy-for-hair-growth-and-baldness/#:~:text=Researchers%20concluded%20that%20red%20light%20therapy%20treatments%20were%20effective.,on%20women%20experiencing%20hair%20loss.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4846838/

 

5 Ways Alkaline Water Can Boost Your Life

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alkaline water, what is alkaline water, alkaline water benefits, what is the benefits of alkaline water, is alkaline water good for you

We’ve all heard the suggestion to drink 8 glasses of water a day because water is good for you.  To put it simply, our body needs water in order to function properly since 60% of our body is water! As studies suggest, staying hydrated can improve your productivity, mood, memory, energy level, and clarity. So what is the big hype about alkaline water?  The idea that alkaline water is medicinal, curative, and able to bring about optimal health seems to be based on the belief that acidic properties in the body and blood are the cause of ill health and disease and need to be neutralized. Therefore, a more alkaline body will lead to better health.

What is Alkaline water?

Alkaline water has a higher PH level then regular drinking water. The pH level is a scale and the lower the PH the more acidic it is. High concentrations of hydrogen ions yield a low pH (acidic substances), whereas low levels of hydrogen ions result in a high pH (basic substances).

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Anything below 7 (ranging from 0 to 6.9) is acidic, and anything above 7 (ranging from 7.1 to 14) is basic. The blood in your veins is slightly basic (pH = 7.4), whereas soap (pH = 12) and bleach (pH = 13) are highly basic. On the other hand, coffee is slightly acidic (pH = 5) and tomato juice (pH = 4) and lemon juice (pH = 2) are highly acidic.

Alkaline compounds (alkali) are substances, like salts, metals, and minerals, that, when added to water, make it more basic. Water always contains some amount of dissolved solids including minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, but alkaline water tends to have a higher amount of total dissolved solids, which increases its pH level. Regular drinking water is typically neutral with a pH level of 7 and alkaline water is slightly basic with a pH level of about 8 or 9.

Alkaline water contains four major minerals that contribute to its remarkable health benefits:

  1. Calcium: Important for bone health, as well as heart, muscle, and nerve function.
  2. Magnesium: Helps turn food into energy and is necessary for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body.
  3. Sodium: Regulates blood pressure and volume, and supports nerve/muscle function.
  4. Potassium: A type of electrolyte that is essential for muscle function and promotes healthy digestion.

The claims that Alkaline water is beneficial to one’s health is controversial in that some claims lack proven scientific research.   But those that have been scientifically proven are:

alkaline water, what is alkaline water, alkaline water benefits, what is the benefits of alkaline water, is alkaline water good for you

Improve Bone Health

Some research has been done on the effects of alkaline intake on bones. A study published in the scientific journal Bone found a positive effect on bone resorption with people who consumed alkaline water rich in bicarbonate. Bone resorption is the process where old bone cells are broken down and replaced by new ones. Less bone resorption and more mineral density resulted in better bone strength. The authors of the study concluded that “a bicarbonate- and calcium-rich alkali mineral water decreased bone resorption more than a calcium-rich acidic mineral water.”

Soothe Acid Reflux

A study published in Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology found that drinking alkaline water at pH 8.8 can help soothe acid reflux because the higher pH level kills pepsin, an enzyme involved in breaking down food proteins and a main cause for acid reflux. Acid reflux is when the contents of the stomach, which are acidic, splash back up the food pipe. Acid reflux that keeps happening for a long time can cause damage and a disease known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

Reduce High Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Cholesterol

In 2016, scientists in Shanghai found that three to six months after drinking alkaline water, people with high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood sugar (diabetes), and high blood lipids (cholesterol) had lower measures in each of these factors. Researchers found that a high-pH electrolyte water reduced the thickness and stickiness of your blood, in 100 adults after exercising. This may help reduce cardiovascular strain due to dehydration.

Enhance Hydration

A 2017 study published in Biology of Sport found that drinking alkaline water shows a positive effect on hydration status after anaerobic exercise with a significant decrease of specific urine gravity. Intake of alkaline water also shows a positive effect on urine pH during the anaerobic test protocol, and much more efficient lactate utilization after the high-intensity interval exercise. In addition to enhanced hydration, efficient lactate utilization results in increased energy, as lactate serves as an energy source in skeletal muscles.

In contrast, subjects who consumed regular drinking water showed no changes over the same period of time. These results indicate that the habitual consumption of alkaline water may be a valuable nutritional vector influencing both acid-base balance and hydration status, as well as energy levels in active healthy adults.

Increase Longevity

A study published in 2016 looked at the effect of consuming alkaline water on 150 mice over a period of three years. Results suggested that those who drank alkaline water had signs of greater longevity, in other words, they aged less and were more likely to live longer. Histological examination of mice kidneys, intestines, hearts, livers, and brains was performed in order to verify the risk of diseases correlated to drinking alkaline water. No significant damage, but aging changes, emerged; organs of alkaline watered animals resulted to be relatively superimposable to controls, shedding a further light on the benefits of alkaline water consumption in humans.

 

https://quenchwater.com/blog/what-is-alkaline-water

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/ph-and-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/references/acids-bases-the-ph-scale
 https://sciencing.com/alkaline-vs-basic-6132782.html
 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alkali
 https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
 https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002415.htm
https://medlineplus.gov/potassium.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S8756328208007813
 https://www.mybiosource.com/learn/conditions/bone-resorption/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/000348941212100702
https://gi.org/topics/acid-reflux/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940 h
 https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0153-8
 https://www.cvphysiology.com/Hemodynamics/H011
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5676322/
 https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003587.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24950803
https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fnic_uploads/energy_full_report.pdf
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5676322/

 

 

10 Surprising Ways Chamomile Can Affect Your Health

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chamomile tea, chamomile, chamomile tea benefits, chamomile flower

Today, the health industry is exploring every nook and cranny of the natural world to find products that work for everyone. Many of these are seemingly benign but actually possess incredible amounts of nutrients and other active ingredients which aid the immune and other systems. One of the most effective of these natural treatments is chamomile.

Chamomile is great because it includes several great oils like bisabolol oxides, biabolol, and matricin, as well as apigenin, which is a great anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. Chamomile is often used both externally and internally; the most popular ingestion method is oral, as chamomile tea has a pleasant flavor. It can also be used in a tincture form for many topical creams as well.

Chamomile is High in Antioxidants

Antioxidants are extremely important because they aid in preventing cell damage. Free radicals from pollution and bad dietary habits can wreak havoc on many of the bodies’ systems, including the immune system, but chamomile helps fight off these free radicals and keeps your body in check.

Antioxidants like terpenoids are preserved well in alcohol and essential oils, such as chamomile. In addition, it possesses quercetin, apigenin, and patuletin, which can provide a litany of health benefits for your body, such as improved immune function and reduced inflammation.

Counter Stress and Depression

Chamomile helps to promote relaxation, which can often counter stress and anxiety. When people feel more relaxed and less prone to mounting stress, they often feel less anxious and depressed. It is one of the most popular ingredients used for aromatherapy because of the many benefits and boosts it gives your emotional wellbeing.

In fact, chamomile can also provide relief to other stress-related maladies, such as headaches and insomnia. Vapors travel directly to the brain during aromatherapy and can greatly aid the body and mind quickly.

Chamomile can Soothe Your Digestion

In addition to providing great benefits to the mind, it can also soothe the body. Digestive issues such as indigestion, diarrhea, and bloating can be soothed with a frequent ingestion or inhalation of chamomile.

Children and other young people can also be safety given chamomile if they’re having colic or digestive discomfort as well. If you have children who are susceptible to frequent stomachaches and nausea, you can try providing them with a dose to soothe them. Chamomile soothes stomachs because of anodyne compounds with antispasmodic properties.

Provide Pain Relief

Many in the health industry refer to chamomile as herbal aspirin because of the effective and rapid pain relief it can provide to the body. Many home remedies for pain include chamomile because it’s simple to use and can be added to most remedies to enhance flavor and reinforce the pain relief properties of the remedy.

You can use it on its own or choose to mix it in with other ingredients depending on your type and severity of pain. Chamomile is a great remedy if you have irritated skin, a swollen face, or a toothache, in addition to other forms of persistent pain. Those with back pain or arthritis also use chamomile often because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

 

chamomile tea, chamomile, chamomile tea benefits, chamomile flowerChamomile can Help Aid Congestion

If you’re often congested, you should consider taking a healthy dose of chamomile every two to three days. It can help clear your congestion and keep your sinuses in check, which means winters and summers won’t be as unbearable.

The sinuses can easily flare up and keep you in immense pain, but chamomile will help relax your sinuses and keep your congestion to a minimum. It is often a natural ingredient in nasal sprays for this very purpose, as it prevents a rapid and severe build-up of mucus in those who ingest it. Drinking the tea can also ease the pain and severity of a cold because of the soothing vapors.

Benefits Your Skin

Many people around the globe suffer from irritated and itchy skin. There are many skin remedies offered by the beauty industry, but if you want something that’s effective while being affordable and natural, you should try chamomile. It can help swollen, red, itchy, or irritated skin safely and naturally.

It is often used as a soothing remedy to many types of burns, bruises, canker sores, and wounds. Even if your skin is fine, you can still use chamomile to erase fine lines and wrinkles. This works so effectively because of the many antioxidants found within it, which have been shown to reduce skin irritation and redness.

Chamomile for Oral Health

Having oral pain, such as an achy tooth or another form of pain in the mouth, can be incredibly irritating and frustrating. Simply gurgling chamomile can help with this oral pain, as many of the natural vitamins and minerals can soothe an achy mouth.

You can also ingest it to help with infection and other factors of an achy mouth. If you don’t want to gargle it straight, you can also mix it with essential oil and water to help ease the taste and pain.

Keeps Your Heart Healthy

Finally, chamomile can be used to keep your heart healthy and ticking longer and stronger. The many flavonoids found within are great for heart health because they help prevent heart disease.

Other Benefits

It can also be used to soothe hemorrhoids, eye infections, and menstrual cramps.

Let’s Be Honest: Menopause Sucks

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menopause, menopause symptoms, menopause age, signs of menopause, menopause

First off, it is important to establish that menopause is not a disease or a disorder. In fact, menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life that is filled with emotional transitions, in addition to physical ones too.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a natural phase in a woman’s life that is experienced differently for each woman. For some, menopause can bring hot flashes, trouble sleeping (from hot flashes), pain during sexual intercourse, bladder control issues, sudden mood changes and irritability and even depression, in more severe instances.  For others, symptoms can be mild and they can be experienced to varying degrees.

Menopause generally occurs in the 12 months after a woman’s final period. In the years leading up to this point, women commonly experience shifts in their menstrual cycles, have hot flashes and other symptoms (as previously mentioned). This period of a woman’s life is called a menopausal transition or perimenopause and usually happens from ages 45 to 55. About seven years of this time (but it can be up to 14) is spent in perimenopause. Its duration depends on a number of lifestyle factors including (but not restricted to) smoking, age it starts, genetics, ethnicity and stress. During perimenopause, a woman’s production of estrogen and progesterone (two hormones made by the ovaries) fluctuates greatly.

What are the Symptoms of Menopause?

menopause, menopause symptoms, menopause age, signs of menopause, menopause

It is important to understand that no menopausal transition is the same. Each woman is unique and experiences it in differing ways. The body starts to burn energy differently too. Fat cells change and women may see more weight fluctuations, usually in gaining weight.

Hot flashes are a common culprit for women experiencing menopause and these can last for years. They are often linked to fluctuating estrogen levels and are a sudden feeling of rushing heat in the body. The face and neck are particularly prone to this, with red blotches on the chest, back, and arms. Heavier perspiration, followed by cold shivering can also occur. Hot flashes can be strong enough to wake someone up. Most hot flashes periods only last between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. They can happen several times an hour or only a few times in a week. As mentioned, everyone is different so their menopausal experience with hot flashes varies greatly.

When symptoms of menopause are experienced, a doctor will further determine if it is occurring by asking questions about a woman’s health and familial history. In some cases a doctor may suggest having a blood test to check for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels to rule out any other causes for the changes experienced.

How to Relieve Menopause Symptoms

Estrogen is used in a variety of places in a woman’s body and as estrogen levels decrease, the likelihood of menopause symptoms occurring increases. Many women experience only mild symptoms and these can be easily treated with minor lifestyle changes. Decreasing caffeine consumption is a common remedy, so is wearing looser and cooler clothing for hot flashes.

Despite all these life-changing factors, there are plenty of natural and non-invasive remedies available to help any woman significantly during menopause. Seeing a doctor to confirm menopause has started is crucial, but there’s not a significant medical treatment or prevention available to totally side step menopause. Instead lifestyle changes and natural remedies are here to see women through this time of their lives.

Because your bones can weaken during menopause (which increases the risk of osteoporosis later) eating foods high in calcium and vitamin D are important to add to or increase in a woman’s diet. The good news is that there are many foods high in calcium, especially dairy products like yogurt, milk and cheese. Leafy green vegetables such as kale, chard and spinach contain high levels of calcium also. Tofu, beans and sardines also contain loads of calcium.

Getting more vitamin D is easy to add too. Just get out in the sun! Our skin naturally produces it when exposed to the sun. However, as we get older, our skin produces less of it. If being in the sun is difficult, taking a supplement or increasing food with vitamin D will help. Oily fish, eggs and cod liver oil supplements are just a few ways to achieve this.

Due to the possibility of gaining more weight with the onset of menopause, achieving or maintaining a healthy weight is another natural remedy you can use. Excess weight will also increase the severity of any hot flashes.

There are a number of herbal remedies that may help alleviate menopause symptoms. Keep in mind, those herbal remedies have varying effects on people and a health care practitioner should be consulted.  Here are just some examples of herbal remedies:

Black Cohosh: Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa) This herb has received quite a bit of scientific attention for its possible effects on hot flashes. Black cohosh may act as a hormone imitator, binding to opioid receptors in the brain, and possibly influencing serotonin levels.

Red Clover: (Trifolium pratense), By weakly binding to estrogen receptors in the body, red clover’s phytoestrogens help normalize estrogen action. Its phytoestrogens include lignin’s, coumestans, and isoflavones.

Dong Quai: (Angelica sinensis) Dong quai has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat gynecologic conditions for more than 1,200 years.

Soy: according to some research, is said to beneficial in reducing the severity of hot flashes too. It is said to have a similar physiologic effect to estrogen.

There are a number of ways women can lessen the severity of their menopause symptoms and they should be explored with the help of a healthcare practitioner who specializes in the area of interest you are pursuing.  But most importantly, maintaining a healthy balanced diet, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and of course taking care of your mental and emotional well being are always key to maintaining a healthy, balanced, abundant life.

SOURCES USED :

https://www.verywellhealth.com/natural-remedies-for-menopause-that-actually-work-2322658

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause

https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/natural-remedies-for-hot-flashes

https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/menopause-and-perimenopause/herbal-remedies-for-menopause-symptom-relief/

Shh! Don’t Share This Insider Secret : House Plants Remove Toxins

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air purifying house plants, best air purifying house plants, air purifying house plants low maintenance, house plants that purify the air

In the past year, most of us have spent more time indoors and many of us will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  Because of this, it’s more important than ever to improve our healthy indoor air quality.  One of the ways we can do this is with indoor house plants.

Photosynthesis is the key

Plants are essential to human life, and we have a symbiotic relationship with.  As we learned in elementary school, plants sustain themselves through a process called photosynthesis, in which they take in sunlight, water, nutrients and carbon dioxide, and give off water vapor and fresh oxygen, which humans then inhale and we in turn exhale carbon dioxide.  During photosynthesis, plants can also remove toxins from the air we breathe.  This can be imagined as a sort of pumping action, in which contaminated air is pulled down into the soil and around a plant’s roots, where the air is then converted into food for the plant.  The oxygen emitted from the plant has been filtered of certain toxins.

Research results

NASA has been studying this process for some time in the hopes of finding ways to detoxify air in spacecraft during long-duration space missions.  NASA has performed many experiments on this, the first of which was published in 1989, and the results have shown that plants are capable of effectively scrubbing the air of cancer-causing volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene.  In fact, studies have been underway to design plant-based indoor air-quality filters that can be incorporated into heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.  Further studies concluded that microorganisms found in the soil of potted plants can also help with cleaning indoor air.  While separate studies have claimed that although house plants do improve air quality, they do so at a very slow rate, and the conditions must be controlled to a level that is not realistic in the average home, there seems to be sufficient evidence to conclude that plants can help purify our in-home air, and they provide the side benefits of adding some natural beauty to our indoor living spaces and helping to brighten our mood.

Based on the collective findings of this plants-as-air filters research to date, some scientists are advocating that house plants are effective natural purifiers.  In fact, larger plants with larger leaves are more effective in this process of pumping in air, cleansing it, and giving off clean oxygen.  Former NASA scientist turned private air quality consultant Bill Wolverton, who led the 1989 study described above, reports that, “The amount of leaf surface area influences the rate of air purification.”  So, the bigger and leafier the plant, the better it will be at this air cleansing process.

Wolverton says that expensive testing would be required to accurately determine how many and what size plants would be needed to clean a room’s air of its contaminants, but he has recommended at least two “good sized” plants per 100 square feet of space in your home.  His first recommendation is the Golden Pothos because of its popularity and ease to grow it.  Below are descriptions of just a few additional plants you may want to consider if you are thinking about adding them to your home to help improve your indoor air quality.

Air-purifying plants

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Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) – NASA’s studies found this beautiful evergreen to be most efficient at removing airborne toxins.  Considered to be easy to care for, it is popular because of its minimal little water or light requirements (and should be kept from direct sunlight for this reason).  Just place a Peace Lily in a dark corner, water it once per week, and it will purify the air around it.  However, one considerable downside of this plant is that it is mildly toxic to both humans and pets.  If swallowed, medical assistance should be sought immediately.

Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum) – Often called the Golden Pothos and native to the Solomon Islands, it can be found all over the world.  Comprised of small heart-shaped leaves growing from evergreen vines, this houseplant is often sold in hanging baskets.  It is best kept near a window, out of direct sunlight, and its soil should contain plenty of moisture.  Very easy to care for, it also looks good in your home, and is one of the more effective at purifying the air of toxins.  However, as with the Peace Lily, the Devil’s Ivy is also toxic when eaten, especially to pets, and side effects often begin with vomiting, so consult your veterinarian immediately if you think your pet may have ingested it.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) – Also called the Reed Palm, the Bamboo Palm’s has tall, slender trunks that resemble bamboo, and its deep green, leafy foliage can bring a tropical flair to any interior (or exterior) space.  It’s not picky about conditions and can thrive in part sun or shade and is effective at filtering several cancer-causing toxins.

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum) – Growing about 1 to 2 feet tall, with its wide, thick leaves that have a beautify, fiery combination of red and green, the Chinese Evergreen is easy to care for and thrives in low to medium sunlight.  It helps to purify the air, but as with the other plants described above, it contains an irritant that can be toxic, especially to pets.

Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) – Often called the Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, this a perennial evergreen that can absorb a range of toxins including all those described above.  Native to Western Africa, it is now found all over the world and can survive in low light conditions for long lengths of time but does prefer bright sun—just don’t overwater its soil for too long.  Again, this plant can be toxic to pets if ingested.

In summary

Studies have shown the house plants can help purify indoor air of toxins, improving the quality of the air in our homes.  There are many plants that not only help filter nearby air but are also easy to care for and give our homes added natural beauty.

SOURCES USED: 

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20080003913

https://time.com/5105027/indoor-plants-air-quality/

https://www.hgtv.com/design/remodel/interior-remodel/10-best-plants-for-cleaning-indoor-air-pictures