Wait a moment. You have one—a curriculum that truly addresses every element of an asthmatic’s life. Called CAP, or Comprehensive Asthma Prevention program, it is a novel blueprint—one that directs us to fight the odious spasm, or every possible trigger, of asthma. How? From the way you breathe, the level of vitamins and minerals in your red, and white, blood cells, to toxins in your home, office, or elsewhere.

I first thought and worked on CAP, because I was myself not able to get that much-needed relief from my long-time tryst with asthma with medications alone. For an asthmatic sufferer like me, CAP, in essence, has evolved as a pragmatic, breathe-easier, user-friendly roadmap—something that you could work at, on your own terms. This you’d do on the basis of a few elementary rules and, most importantly, with your mind-body co-operation for better results.

How to Reverse Your Asthma

To start with the program, you ought to first tell your therapist and yourself your own problems with the disorder—to find your own real you—one that is more than a question of really getting to know your own genuine you. Not just the physical, or any other, basis of the problem.

But, before you’d do that, it is only natural that a host of questions may be running through your mind:

• How to prevent an asthma attack?
• What kind of exercise is better?
• What kind of change may go on in your lungs with asthma?
• Do children outgrow asthma, or is it still a myth?
• Why asthma sprays are sometimes dangerous and/or why allergies make them vulnerable to asthma?

Each patient has his or her own unique genetic and biochemical imprint. It is like a spider’s web, woven differently each time, because each person’s biochemistry is unique. Each patient also has a special combination of hidden nutritional deficiencies, and other sensitiveness. The good news is that every patient has unique healing capacities that, when tapped, can help restore health.

CAP combines the best of conventional medicine—of what is going on at the cellular level vis-a-vis asthma, including an agreeable and informative battery of general, and sophisticated, tests—supplanting a holistic approach to health.

This is, indeed, a revolutionary program—one that is specifically designed for asthmatics. It also, in so doing, accounts, and denotes, “scores” for all possible health hazards we face in day-to-day life: drugs, medications, home, office, food, allergic potential, intestinal malfunction, immunity level, nutrition, and so on.

Medications, when properly used, are, of course, an invaluable tool. They serve as a bridge to a healthier life. But, too many asthma patients today are over-medicated, and under-treated, or they are inadequately treated.

Reducing and Eliminating Dependence on Medication

So, what is the best way out of such an impasse? Patients can make a dramatic improvement in their health by reducing their medication in the context of a programme like CAP—a schedule that eliminates life-style triggers of asthma, and bolsters the entire body with a rich lode of nutrients.

CAP does not, of course, miss the wheeze for a sneeze, and vice versa. It helps asthmatics in more ways than one, albeit one should not simply lessen one’s prescribed drugs on their own. The important thing is that this program must, without exception, be conducted under supervision. More so, because, the basic aim of CAP is to help asthmatics lead an almost drug-free life, and also encourage them to lead as healthy a life as possible, while relying on the least amount of medication necessary.

Asthma is generally a manageable problem. Reason enough why CAP combines the best in natural, non-invasive, non-toxic treatments, backed by substantial research. CAP is also more than geared to educating asthmatics about the many possible triggers that cause the inflammation and congestion in the bronchial passages leading to asthma attacks. In so doing, it spells out how healing and prevention are achieved through diet, nutritional supplementation, environmental modification, breathing exercises and, most importantly, stress reduction.

Try Complementary Therapies Too

To complement it all, the program urges both therapists and asthmatics to make use of effective alternative techniques, based on the mind/body concept of healing: meditation, self-hypnosis, visualization, biofeedback, healing through music/sound and brain synchrony, yoga, ta’i chi, acupuncture, aromatherapy, osteopathic manipulation, sleep, cognitive re-framing etc.,

This novel plan for turning-around asthma, which is explained in my book, Reversing Asthma [Warner Books, US], is, however, no quick-fix. Neither is it a do-all, or end-all, outline. In its totality, the idea could take time, to give results, yes, but it’s well worth a real, good try.

Because, CAP, in sum, for more reasons than one, is a thoroughly practical, no-nonsense approach, and full recompense for individuals who want to break that most distressing, “gung-ho” spasm — the song of every asthmatic’s burden.

Breathing Exercises to Reverse Asthma

If breath is life, and breathing properly is the mainstay of CAP, exercise is breath in action.

CAP trains patients in breathing techniques. It also propels them to establish a unique work-out: proper breathing, a simple, but profound, manoeuvre.

Let’s take a look-in at two of the most handy CAP breathing exercises, for asthmatics. You’d inculcate their usage in your daily life, for better results.

The Empty Balloon

Instruct yourself to imagine an empty balloon, most of which is held in your tight fist. Try and blow the balloon, and also tell yourself that you would only be able to inflate the neck. Now, imagine that fist as your diaphragm muscles engulfed in a spasm. If only you can open the fist into a relaxed hand, you can blow the entire balloon! This will allow you to “fill” your lungs with life-giving oxygen, and because the richest blood flow in the lungs is at the bottom (where they are the largest), you will now be flooding your body with energy.

You may also urge yourself to practice the following four-step exercise plan, otherwise called Clearing Exercises, to expel mucous plugs, yet another major asthmatic hitch.

The Four-Step Plan

Position A

Lie face down with your hips raised about 20 inches on a stack of pillows, and cough every few minutes

Position B

Lie on your left side with your hips raised 20 inches on a pile of pillows, and cough every few minutes

Position C

Lie on your back with your hips raised about 20 inches on a heap of pillows, and cough every few minutes

Position D

Lie on your right side with your hips raised about 20 inches on a mound of pillows, and cough every few minutes.

The post How to Reverse Asthma with Comprehensive Asthma Prevention Program appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Probiotics are defined as live micro-organisms that beneficially affect the host upon ingestion by improving the balance of the intestinal microflora. Intestinal microflora is vital for the development of the immune system.

Probiotics Are Nature’s Organic Healers

The dietary use of live micro-organisms has a long history—examples include soured milk and cultured dairy products such as yogurt, used therapeutically even before the existence of micro-organisms was proved. As a matter of fact, the use of micro-organisms in food fermentation is one of the oldest methods for producing and preserving food. They are, indeed, staples in our diet.

Known as nature’s organic healers, probiotics have proved to be indispensable in innumerable studies. They keep us healthy by cleansing our intestines of excess pathogens [disease-causing organisms], thus preventing allergies, yeast infections, diarrhoea, gas, bloating, and digestive problems.

Research suggests that probiotics may alleviate inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and colitis. In addition to this, probiotics also strengthen our immune system, and with good effect.

It is also suggested that Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic, can help combat HIV.

How Probiotics Work

A key characteristic of good or healthy bacteria is their ability to antagonize unhealthy, or pathogenic bacteria. Pathogenic organisms are dangerous because they either cause infection or release harmful substances as by-products of their natural digestive processes.

Probiotics work in a variety of ways to keep the bad or unhealthy bacteria in check. They do this by competing with them for the same nutrients. Others produce substances like peroxides or lactic acid, which can kill pathogenic bacteria by virtue of their respective detergent-like, acidic properties.

Probiotics can absorb excess minerals which pathogens use for growth. They also form a defensive barrier around the walls of the intestines to protect them from damage. This is not all. They can even release their own natural “antibiotics” – one foremost example being acidophilin.

Probiotics Are Smarter Than Antibiotics

Probiotics are safer and more effective than antibiotics. Man-made antibiotics are so lethal that they kill not only bad bacteria such as E coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella, and Staphylococcus but also the good bacteria.

When healthy strains are killed, any harmful bacteria that have survived the antibiotic onslaught adapt to resist the medication and reproduce. The next time this antibiotic is used, it is rendered useless against the strengthened, “smarter” pathogens.

Needless to say, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have caused several recent epidemics of tuberculosis and meningitis, reminiscent of ancient scares.

Also, unlike antibiotics, natural probiotics have smaller, more selective targets. In short, they promote safe, natural healing.

Health Benefits of Probiotics

Probiotics produce enzymes that help us digest our food. They are also responsible for producing essential B vitamins in the process of metabolizing nutrients. They help by cleaning up the gastrointestinal tract. In so doing, they can help reduce embarrassing symptoms such as bad breath, gas, and diarrhea, stemming from digestive problems.

Probiotics can also help us treat more serious conditions like vaginal [yeast] infections, and some allergies. Here are a few health conditions that probiotics help improve:

Diarrhea

This is often a symptom of gastrointestinal distress caused by bacteria. Probiotics normalize bowel function by neutralizing infectious micro-organisms.

Urinary tract infection

Although antibiotics are usually prescribed for urinary tract infections, studies indicate that probiotics might be a safe, effective line of treatment.

Yeast infection

Yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics. When consumed daily, yogurt can prevent recurrent yeast infections — a nagging health concern for many women.

Dermatitis

Whether you have allergic skin rashes [dermatitis], otherwise known as eczema, or even psoriasis, or acne, chances are that probiotics can be a good part of your treatment programme.

Food allergies

Research suggests that infants with cow milk allergy demonstrate significant improvement of symptoms when taking probiotics.

Milk intolerance

The gas, or bloating, and bowel problems some people experience when they consume milk and cheese — more technically known as lactose intolerance — is often caused by the deficiency of the enzyme, lactase, which helps digest dairy products. Probiotics produce significant quantities of lactase, and are extremely beneficial to those who want to consume dairy products without experiencing distressing symptoms.

Immune system

The probiotic Lactobacillus casei strain of healthy bacteria has been found to stimulate the production of the chemical weapon [secretory IgA], which is used by our immune system to ward off invading pathogens.

Last updated on 2^nd July 2020

This is an updated version of the article that first appeared in the November 2006 issue of Complete Wellbeing Magazine

The post Why Consuming Probiotics Is a Smart Health Hack appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

How important is sleep? We spend a third of our lives sleeping. Yet, how many of us even think about the all-important link between sleep, health, and wellbeing? Till recently, we knew nothing about the eight hours we spend in “active” sleep each night — when our entire immune system is revitalised, hormones are balanced, brain patterns fluctuate, and our body is given the opportunity to repair and heal itself. Sleep disorders, according to experts, may be linked to everything from Chronic Fatigue Dysfunction Syndrome [CFIDS] – a debilitating illness where the individual feels “bone tired” – headaches, muscle and memory problems, and depression, to even early death.

In fact, if you sleep less than six hours a night, you have a 70 per cent chance of early mortality. What’s more, since the body is literally starved of oxygen, in certain sleep disorders — heart disease and asthma — we should evaluate them as part of routine medical treatment.

The good news is there has been exciting progress in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. You no longer have to haul your overnight bag to a clinic where you lie down in a laboratory with wires and electrodes taped to your entire body, and spend the night being videotaped and monitored.

Yes, millions of people worldwide report that they have some kind of sleep difficulty – from trouble falling asleep at night to waking too early. The interesting fact is – even though sleep disorders can take many different forms, they usually fall into a couple of common categories.

Watch the block

The two most common sleep disorders are –

• Insomnia [when you can’t fall asleep]
• Sleep adjustment disorder [when you can’t synchronise your sleep to your work schedule].

Insomnia is terribly common, and can persist for months, and even years, leaving the person fatigued and depressed. Physicians may prescribe sleeping pills. These pills and sedatives deeply alter your sleep cycle, and actually shorten the amount of time spent in deep sleep. We should remember that it is during deep sleep that the body releases immune-boosting substances, while it gets detoxified and repaired. An occasional sleeping pill may be the answer for sporadic insomnia, but after years of dependence on sleeping pills, health can be subtly, but seriously damaged.

To diagnose and treat insomnia, I first isolate the underlying causes of the disorder in my practice. Some common causes are medications, stress, chronic fatigue, allergies, dietary problems, and hormone imbalances. Caffeine and alcohol can also be the culprits, since they are both potent nervous system stimulators. In other words, they can interfere with sleep. You should also watch out for vitamins, which, at times, act as stimulants, and certain herbs.

Did you know that your morning cup of coffee might be keeping you awake at night? Caffeine can disturb sleep up to twenty hours after consumption. Alcohol can be even more powerful disrupter of sleep. Some insomniacs complain that a few drinks put them to sleep, but that hours later they are wide awake. This is because alcohol relaxes the nervous system only temporarily. When consumed, it is metabolised; it causes a strong rebound effect, a few hours later. The solution? Don’t use alcohol to fall asleep. Your diet may also contribute to your lack of sleep. Food allergies, for example, sometimes lead to excessive histamine production in the body, leading to a strange combination of fatigue, anxiety, and poor sleep.

Sleep apnoea: Danger signals

Sleep apnoea causes people to literally stop breathing in their sleep. It also robs their heart, brain and lungs of precious oxygen. The sleeper stops breathing as many as 200 times a night, waking for an instant when his/her oxygen-starved brain rings the alarm bell. The problem is that most people don’t have an idea that they are being deprived of restful sleep.

The most common symptom of sleep apnoea is snoring. Typically, it is the spouse – or, someone else – that notices the other person’s nosey bugle.

Sleep apnoea affects many people. It can cause prolonged daytime fatigue, sudden death from night-time heart problems, including headaches, depression, memory loss, and severe mood swings. In addition, many people who suffer from sleep apnoea tend to be overweight.

Diet too can be a contributing factor to sleep apnoea. Carbohydrates, for instance, worsen apnoea since they produce carbon dioxide when metabolised. This increases the amount of air expelled. This, in turn, increases the amount of air breathed in. The outcome is snoring, especially after a large meal.

Herbal help

Insomnia can be treated through a combined approach. For example, supplements such as L-phenylalanine, and herbs such as chamomile, valerian and Passiflora incarnata [passion flower], are known to relax the nervous system. These, along with a proper diet and relaxation, which I prescribe, for other underlying causes – such as mental anguish and stress – can all be part of a customised treatment plan for insomnia.

Travellers and people who work night shifts often experience sleep adjustment disorders. If you are one of those folks, your sleep clock may be off the block. But, don’t despair. Science now has a solution for you. When daylight disappears, the brain secretes a chemical substance called melatonin. Recent studies have shown that people who take melatonin pills, during daylight hours, experience a shift in their internal sleep clock, and are able to sleep restfully. However, before you rush to your nearest store to get your magic lullaby, be aware that there have been incidents of dizziness due to improper dosages. This can be a problem, especially in the elderly.

The post Healing Power of Sleep appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

One type of AMD occurs when the tiny vessels in the back of the eye are weakened, allowing blood to seep out and leaving the eye defenceless to damage from the sun’s powerful rays. This can cause a dark spot that blocks – or, blurry lines that distort – anything in your field of vision.

There are two types of age-related macular degeneration: dry and wet. Dry AMD is the less severe of the two and accounts for 90 per cent of all cases. In dry AMD, yellowish spots called drusen begin to accumulate breaking down the eye’s light-sensing cells and causing distorted vision. If dry AMD advances far enough, it can become wet AMD, so named because it arises when tiny, abnormal vessels begin to grow behind the retina. These vessels can leak blood and fluid that damage the macula – the small, highly sensitive and specialised central area of the retina – not to mention vision blockage that may occur. Seeping fluid leads to rapid and severe vision loss. Wet AMD almost always takes place in people who have already suffered dry AMD and usually results in legal blindness. Legal blindness is defined as visual acuity less than 20/200 or visual field restriction to 20 per cent or less.

AMD isn’t the only threat to aging eyes.

Glaucoma and cataracts

Glaucoma, which is the most common cause of blindness in all age groups, affects the optic nerve and usually remains undetected until a significant amount of vision has been lost. Cataracts, too, are quite common, afflicting two-thirds of individuals over age 70 with the inability to focus.

Unfortunately, even in this age of medical progress, there are no cures for eye disease and resulting blindness. Cataract operations and laser surgery, for example, benefit only a minority of patients, and although they can delay vision loss, they cannot prevent it. Indeed, there was little hope for aging eyes – until now.

Luckily, we now know that the risk of eye disease can be reduced by controlling one simple factor in our lives: nutrition. Recent medical research indicates that specific anti-oxidants can lower the risk of eye disease and prevent macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma from occurring. These anti-oxidants include vitamin E, vitamin C, and an amino acid called taurine.

However, the most important defenders of the eye are a class of compounds called the carotenoids, which include beta-carotene and, most notably, a versatile and potent nutrient known as lutein. Lutein appears to prevent the risk of macular degeneration and other eye illnesses by protecting the fragile back of the eye from harmful blue light.

Carotenoids are a group of anti-oxidants found in concentrated quantities in fruits and vegetables. There are two major classes of carotenoids: the carotenes, including beta-carotene, and the xanthophiles, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. While beta-carotene, which is responsible for the yellow and orange colour of foods like squash and carrots, is the most famed carotenoid, it is virtually absent in the eye. This is where lutein and zeaxanthin enter the picture.

Age-related macular degeneration occurs when cells break down in the macula, a yellow spot at the centre of the retina that is responsible for our clear, central, or focused vision. This breakdown process slowly and progressively destroys sight in the centre of the field of vision, although it does not affect peripheral vision.

How lutein works

Lutein and zeaxanthin work by accumulating in the macula and screening out harmful blue light that can damage the back of the eye [unlike ultraviolet light, which can also damage the eye, blue light is part of the visible spectrum, known as the short wave].

Although xanthophiles are found primarily in leafy and green vegetables, especially kale, spinach, peas, lettuce, and broccoli, they are actually yellow and orange in colour, a fact hidden behind the chlorophyll that gives these vegetables their rich, dark hue. By pigmenting the macula, lutein and zeaxanthin act like sunglasses, filtering out destructive rays from the daily onslaught of light waves. They also fight free radicals that threaten to impair our vision.

The post Prevent Eye Disease appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

In 1936, Hans Selye, the founding father of stress studies, published a groundbreaking paper on the long-term consequences of stress in the renowned British journal, Nature.

Selye was the first to conceive – and, brilliantly so – that stress can wreak havoc with our health and that it’s our response to stress that makes all the difference to our bodies. In fact, it is our response to stress that actually is the stress. If we can keep stress from affecting our lives, Selye believed, it ceases to be a problem.

The evidence of stress-induced chemical cascades that Selye proposed so long ago holds good, even today. He suggested that when we’re stressed, neurotransmitters caused a part of the brain known as the hypothalamus to produce a substance called corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]. This stress substance travels to our hormone factory, the pituitary gland, and signals the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone, another chemical, that warns our bodies about life’s pressures. Finally, this hormone cues the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol and adrenaline. The result? Increased blood sugar, faster heart rate, and higher blood pressure.

Many people, young and old, reach a saturation point, where they can no longer tolerate stress and its effects on the body. Eventually, norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter, becomes depleted, and the immune system gets suppressed.

Psychological weariness

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that psychological stress increases the risk of acute infectious respiratory illness. There is even evidence that stress hurts us at the most basic cellular level. Each of our cells contains a powerhouse called the mitochondrion, which regulates energy production all through the body. In rats, acute stress was found to cause severe mitochondrial damage, illustrating the far-reaching powers of sustained pressure. Even the stress of exercise can have an impact on health, depending on your genetic legacy. It’s also been shown that hard physical activity can lead to a decrease in the synthesis of norepinephrine.

Neurotransmitters, like norepinephrine, can become depleted if our stress levels are excessive. One extreme example of this is chronic fatigue syndrome [CFS]. An epidemic that has reached its highest levels in the last 15-20 years, chronic fatigue syndrome has gone by many names, from chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome [CFIDS] to “the yuppie flu.” Part of the mystery of CFS stems from the fact that we still don’t know what virus causes the syndrome! Epstein-Barr virus, or HHV-6, another member of the herpes family, has been implicated, yes. There is even some speculation that CFS is triggered by what are thought to be “stealth” viruses, which may actually evade our immune system’s powerful surveillance.

Whatever the cause, one thing is certain: CFS is not just fatigue. While most of us have been exceedingly tired at some point in our lives, sleep eventually restores our energy and vitality. For sufferers of CFS, however, there is no such thing as a good night’s sleep. They are constantly plagued with a deep, unrelenting exhaustion that sleep cannot remedy. They have the will and the desire to live a normal life, but their fatigue wears them down. This fatigue interferes with normal life, normal relationships, and our normal day-to-day functioning. CFS has been defined by the Centres for Disease Control [CDC], US, as a set of major and minor criteria – one hallmark being debilitating fatigue lasting at least six months that reduces average daily activity to below 50 per cent. One group of criteria for CFS suggests that hypotension, or abnormally low blood pressure, may be associated [with CFS] in some people.

Many patients suffering from CFS report that stress exacerbates their condition. Clearly, stress is not just a mental dysfunction; it can dismantle the health of the whole body. Patients have come to me hopelessly lethargic, wanting to go out and conquer life but constantly lacking the energy. Whether it be a high-pressure job in which they must consistently perform well, or even just getting the simplest tasks accomplished, stress severely handicaps their abilities.

The power of tyrosine

I have found that there is a nutrient so important to energy and stamina that the US military was conducting studies on its benefits. This nutrient is tyrosine. In fact, tyrosine may be the natural antidote to today’s fast-paced lifestyle. Of all the supplements I study and prescribe in my practice, tyrosine is one of my absolute favourites. With its help, I’ve seen people emerge from the fog of depression, handle stress better, and generally improve their condition.

Tyrosine is an amino acid – a building block for protein – that is found in every day dairy products such as cheese and milk, and meats such as chicken and turkey. While all of the 20-odd amino acids that form our bodily proteins serve as building blocks for the brain, tyrosine plays an especially important role in keeping the nervous system alive and running. Just like two other amino acids, tryptophan [found in milk] and phenylalanine [found in the sugar substitute, aspartame], tyrosine is known as an “aromatic” amino acid and has a special ring structure shaped like a hexagon. Unlike non-aromatic amino acids, any dietary tyrosine we consume is readily absorbed into our brains. This quality allows tyrosine the heady power to tinker with our moods, feelings, emotions, and cognitive abilities.

Tyrosine is the precursor of three of the most crucial neurotransmitters used as chemical messengers by the neuronal cells that wire our brains: dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine [also known as adrenaline]. The life-changing power of anti-depressant drugs is often due to their ability to increase both dopamine and norepinephrine. Though the role of norepinephrine is subtle, it is absolutely necessary for preparing our bodies for the fight-or-flight reaction. It conserves energy and stimulates adrenaline release. A study in Military Medical Journal shows that intensely stressful situations, like fighting in a war, can use up our stores of norepinephrine. Tyrosine not only restores low levels of norepinephrine, but also improves performance and cognitive functioning during times of extreme pressure.

Studies of human subjects at high altitudes and freezing temperatures show that tyrosine supplements prevent the learning, motor, and memory difficulties that usually arise in stressful environments. Second, tyrosine is a source of energy. A study on lab animals showed that tyrosine renewed both enthusiasm and motivation normally eliminated by stressful surroundings. Similar research has shown that tyrosine can restore significant amounts of energy to sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome and dysthymia – depression that is not as severe as full-blown clinical depression – by acting as a natural stimulant.

This brain-boosting nutrient can also be useful as an analgesic and as a potential treatment for disorders like narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles, normally. This is not all. Tyrosine may even help ameliorate post-menopausal distress.

The post Fatigue factor: Are You Tired? appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Social support, for example, can also extend the life of a cancer patient. In a landmark study on emotions and cancer published in the respected medical journal, The Lancet, it was found that women with cancer who attended support groups lived twice as long, on average, as those who did not.

Another study from the University of California, at Los Angeles, US, indicated that patients who had survived cancer for at least five years, and attended group therapy lived three times as long as those who didn’t seek therapy.

Immune boost good

When people are grieving, their T-cells and natural killer cells – both important immune system defenders – function less effectively. Support from family, friends and fellow sufferers not only provides comfort, but may also improve a person’s health by bolstering immune cells.

People who feel isolated face the opposite effect: depression, anxiety and increased risk of cancer.

The National Cancer Institute, US, published a study of 4,825 healthy individuals, 146 of whom were chronically depressed. Those who had been depressed for at least six years were more likely to develop cancer. Another study, from the Ohio State University, US, found that breast cancer patients who reported high levels of anxiety about their disease showed a major reduction in the effectiveness of their natural “killer” cells. This doesn’t mean that mood can cause cancer, but it does imply that depression and anxiety lower immunity – and, that can also be a risk factor for cancer and other diseases.

A stimulating study published in The Journal of Research and Social Medicine, however, suggests that cancer might cause depression. Researchers examined 43 patients with liver tumours and found a significant correlation between clinical depression and an immune modulator called interleukin sIL2r alpha. This chemical is released when our immune system battles cancer cells. The inference is: the same substance which fights the disease may also biologically trigger depression.

Scary as this may sound, it’s actually good news, because, it gives us some new tools for treating cancer patients. In addition to surgery and medicine, we can use the power of the mind to impact health.

There are also a host of natural remedies which I recommend to patients diagnosed with cancer, especially immune boosters like alkylglycerols, green tea, and maitake mushroom extracts.

But, just as important is – we need to seek emotional comfort and support, to help improve our outlook on life. Taking the time to meditate and reflect on our experiences can also alleviate stress and negative thoughts, thus strengthening the immune system.

The mind-body connection is powerful, and we need to use it to our advantage.

To chromium, or not to.

To look at another topic. Much controversy has risen today over chromium picolinate – a supplement frequently taken by athletes, diabetics, and people trying to lose weight. Chromium is used by the body to facilitate the job of insulin, and help the metabolism of glucose and, consequently, the metabolism of fat.

An article published in The New York Times, however, states that chromium picolinate “has been shown in tests done on cells grown in the laboratory to cause severe damage to chromosomes,” and, that, “the genetic changes observed in the laboratory suggest that this widely sold supplement could be carcinogenic [cancer-causing substance].”

Some explanation comes from researchers at Dartmouth College and George Washington University Medical Center, US, who tested the effects of chromium picolinate on cells derived from the ovary of a Chinese hamster. When exposed to “reasonable doses” of chromium picolinate, the researchers report, the cells suffered chromosomal damage that ranged from three to 18 times the amount that occurred in cells exposed to other chromium compounds. Researchers also explain that when chromium works inside the body, it does so outside of the cells and is usually not absorbed in the cells; but, when combined with picolinate, it can get inside cells and affect the genetic information stored within.

So, what is “normal and reasonable dose?” According to Dr C Leigh Broadhurst, a Visiting Scientist at the Vitamin and Research Laboratory in Maryland, US, and an assistant to Dr Richard Anderson – one of the world’s leading researchers on dietary chromium – chromium picolinate is completely safe, and is the best absorbed form of chromium for nutritional supplementation.

Dr Broadhurst goes on to say that studies that were conducted on the damaging effects of chromium picolinate are quite distorted: “A normal dosage of 200 mcg per day,” he reports, produces a serum chromium concentration of around 16 nanomoles [A mole is an amount of a substance that contains a large number {six followed by 23 zeros} of molecules, or atoms. A nanomole is one-billionth of a mole]. This stands in contrast to the laboratory concentration of 100 micromoles used in the quoted study to induce clastogenecity [chromosomal breaks]. The difference here is a factor of 6,000!”

Dr Broadhurst compares this discrepancy to making someone drink 48,000 glasses of water as opposed to the recommended 8-10. All this can get quite confusing.

A recent study has, in fact, shown a 38 per cent improvement with chromium picolinate in glucose tolerance in patients suffering with polycystic ovary disease. Chromium picolinate is a supplement primarily used to improve glucose tolerance in patients suffering with conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

Now, the big question. Should we give up chromium picolinate as a supplement? Not necessarily. Chromium picolinate is safe as part of a balanced diet. The only thing is: we’d all do well not to overdo it.

The post Mood is Where the Illness is appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Joyce first came to me looking for an alternative. She had heard of treatments for a variety of ailments, from cancer to diabetes and asthma. She was glad to learn that there are a number of alternative choices for women seeking to avoid prescription medication for post-menopausal syndrome [PMS]. In fact, natural estrogen alternatives are beneficial for a host of conditions, including PMS and irregular menstrual cycles.

When I put Joyce on natural estrogen program, she was skeptical. But, a change in her diet, along with a supplement program, did the trick.

After six weeks she was relieved of her hot flashes and most of her other symptoms. “Why doesn’t anyone know about this treatment?” she asked.

Good v/s Bad Estrogens

You’ve heard of “good” and “bad” cholesterol. Just as there is good and bad cholesterol, there are “good” and “bad” estrogens. Bad estrogens are responsible for the promotion of tumors, and are found in high proportions in synthetic estrogen used in birth control pills, or prescribed for the “treatment” of menopause. Bad estrogens contain low amounts of a substance called estriol, and a higher amount of estradiol. The ratio of estriol to estradiol determines whether estrogen is harmful or not.

Good estrogens, containing a high amount of estriol, are found in a wide variety of foods, including raspberries, strawberries, soybeans, sweet potatoes, yams, and eggplants.

Isoflavones, for example, are one of the good natural estrogens, found in soy, a staple of Japanese diet.

Incidentally, Japanese women have one-fifth the risk of breast cancer as do their Western counterparts.

Isoflavones appear to block angiogenesis – the process by which new blood vessels are formed. The blockage of angiogenesis hinders the growth and spread of tumor cells.

Japanese women also experience very few menopausal syndromes. At one time, this was believed to be due to the stoical nature of the Japanese. That view has now changed, and the absence of symptoms is attributed to the Japanese diet, where the main ingredient is soy. A cup of soy contains approximately the same amount of plant estrogen as the body produces in one day. Different types of soy products, such as soy milk and tofu, have different amounts of natural estrogens, tofu being the highest.

Other weapons in the fight are IC3s. IC3s, or, Indole-3 carbinols, present in broccoli and cabbage are subject of intense research. IC3s in low doses appear to prohibit estrogen from breaking down into harmful metabolites. Natural estrogens are “weak” estrogens, meaning they bind to receptors but produce minimal side-effects. Unlike what is commonly believed, weak estrogens are not beneficial to women alone; it appears to serve both sexes.

Studies in Japan, where plant estrogens are consumed extensively, indicate that prostate cancer is nearly non-existent among Japanese men, and that the incidence of breast cancer in Japan is among the lowest in the world. The same goes for heart disease, since natural estrogens present in many plant foods appear to act as powerful anti-oxidants, preventing free radical damage to lipids. They, therefore, help in preserving the lining of the arteries. Natural estrogens are present not only in plant food, but in supplements as well, offered by many pharma companies.

Nature Is Still the Best Healer

Estrogen replacement therapy is now prescribed only for women who have had hysterectomies, since estrogen alone has been shown to increase the risk of cancer of the uterine lining. Progestin, a synthetic that acts as progesterone, is added to prevent endometrial cancer. However this may be, synthetic progesterone can cause adverse side-effects, including breast tenderness, and skin sensitivity. Progesterones are present in many foods containing natural eestrogens, so alternatives need to be considered.

Natural progesterone has shown to raise HDL cholesterol – the good cholesterol – more than synthetic progesterone. Natural progesterones are available in some pharmacies.

Experts suggest the possibility that plant estrogens, and possibly progesterones, might be reasonable alternatives to synthetic derivatives, currently in vogue.

Most women can avoid estrogen replacement therapy by following a regimen that includes high calcium intake, regular exercise, and diet rich in foods containing natural plant estrogen and progesterone.

[Note: Estrogens, whether synthetic or natural, may promote the growth of hormone sensitive tumors. Women are strongly advised to seek medical advice prior to beginning any treatment].

How Safe Is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy [HRT] became popular in the early 1990s after numerous studies showed that it could prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of heart disease in women. Estrogen replacement therapy has been sold to the public as an elixir of youth, making synthetic estrogen the #1 drug sold in the US [Estrogen replacement therapy uses estrogen alone; hormone replacement therapy is estrogen combined with progestin — a synthetic that acts like progesterone]. However, synthetic hormones come in a package along with potential risks.

A landmark study of over 70,000 nurses published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that women taking estrogen replacement therapy for longer than five years had a 40 per cent increased risk of breast cancer, a percentage that increased steadily the longer estrogen was taken.

There is much debate in the medical, or healthcare, community on whether every post-menopausal woman should take estrogen replacement, or hormone replacement. While there are some women who may benefit from synthetic estrogens, most women would be much better off using natural plant alternatives.

Menopause typically begins by the age of 50. However, it can start as early as 30s. When the body’s production of estrogen and progesterone decreases, menstruation stops. After one year without a period, a woman is said to be going through menopause. This can be confirmed through laboratory tests. It should, however, not be confused with other syndromes where a normal cycle ceases. Symptoms of menopause often include hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, as well as impaired daily functioning due to pronounced vasomotor reactions.

One of the most subtle messages that women receive is that menopause is a medical condition. This classification has allowed “treatment” protocols to be developed. These treatments, as already cited, may be harmful. Most women should avoid estrogen replacement therapy altogether if they take certain appropriate measures, in consultation with their therapist.

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