tag:www.naturalawakeningsnj.com,2005:/categories/healing-ways?page=14Healing Ways Healing Ways | Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey Page 14Healthy Living Healthy Planet2019-08-15T21:11:29-07:00urn:uuid:9ad57c62-2741-4c8e-925b-ecd62e2522082019-08-15T21:11:29-07:002019-08-15T21:11:29-07:00U.S. Midlife Women Choosing Natural Health Care: Using Complementary and Alternative Approaches2018-04-30 08:41:49 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n a survey of 171 midlife American women, more than 80 percent reported using complementary and alternative medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers discovered. The most common choice was herbal teas, followed by women’s vitamins, flaxseed, glucosamine and soy supplements. Only 34 percent of the non-Hispanic white women and 14 percent of the Hispanic women discussed it with their doctors.</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:0f2b107d-2d1e-43ff-8d59-a8e5a4aa5e8c2019-08-15T21:55:09-07:002019-08-15T21:55:10-07:00New Guidelines Lower the Bar for Risky Blood Pressure: Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Now Have High Numbers2018-04-30 08:41:48 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">N</span>ew guidelines that change the criteria for healthy blood pressure mean that nearly half of U.S. adults are now considered to have high blood pressure. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have redefined the condition as being 130/80 instead of 140/90, a change considered by critics as overly beneficial to pharmaceutical companies. This criteria includes 80 percent of people over 65, triples the diagnosis for men under 45 and doubles it for women younger than 45.</p>
<p>The revised guidelines encourage adopting lifestyle strategies in early stages of rising blood pressure like exercise, diet, weight loss and smoking cessation. Evidence-based alternative methods noted in a Canadian study include coenzyme Q10, dark chocolate, qigong, slow breathing, Transcendental Meditation and vitamin D.</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:607615f6-c0f8-4e1b-80e9-20221eb7cfd02019-08-15T22:06:40-07:002019-08-15T22:06:40-07:00Young Women Outdo Male Peers in Oxygen Uptake: Important Fitness Marker2018-04-30 08:41:42 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">Y</span>oung women process oxygen about 30 percent faster and more efficiently than men when they begin exercising, according to a new study from Canada’s University of Waterloo. The ability to extract oxygen from the blood is an important fitness marker, which the researchers tested by having 18 young men and women exercise on treadmills. The women’s superior results indicate they are naturally less prone to muscle fatigue and poor performance. “The findings are contrary to the popular assumption that men’s bodies are more naturally athletic,” observes lead author Thomas Beltrame, Ph.D. Previous research had found that older men and male children tend to have faster oxygen uptake than women.</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:2c6bfde2-9ee8-403c-bd7a-542da389b29c2019-08-15T21:15:06-07:002019-08-15T21:15:06-07:00Waterborne Drugs: Meds in Urban Streams Drive Microbial Resistance2018-04-30 08:17:39 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">A</span> new study published in the journal <em>Ecosphere</em> confirms that in urban streams, persistent pharmaceutical pollution can cause aquatic microbial communities to become resistant to drugs. Researchers evaluated the presence of pharmaceuticals, including painkillers, stimulants, antihistamines and antibiotics, in four streams in Baltimore, Maryland. Then they measured the microbial response to drug exposure. Selected study sites represented a gradient of development from suburban to urban.</p>
<p>Emma Rosi, an aquatic ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and lead author on the study, explains, “Wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to remove many pharmaceutical compounds. We were interested in how stream microorganisms, which perform key ecosystem services like removing nutrients and breaking down leaf litter, respond to pharmaceutical pollution. When we expose streams to pharmaceutical pollution, we are unwittingly altering their microbial communities, yet little is known about what this means for ecological function and water quality.”</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:7df8c086-b7b2-43fb-a8b5-684a844cfc402019-08-15T21:29:32-07:002019-08-15T21:29:32-07:00Healing the Hard Stuff: Natural Approaches Resolve Major Illnesses2018-04-30 08:17:32 -0700Linda Sechrist<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>lthough natural health enthusiasts may recognize alternative healing modalities as a preferred approach to treatment, in the face of major health issues, even they tend to join the crowd that’s turning first to conventional medicine.</p>
<p>Thus, many gentler modalities described in <em>The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine</em>, co-authored by doctors of naturopathy Michael T. Murray and Joseph Pizzorno, remain largely untapped resources. Ignored because they are unsupported by traditional science-based medicine, holistic measures such as acupuncture, energy medicine, essential oils, herbs, detoxification, health-promoting diets, homeopathy, prayer and meditation, supplementation, yoga, massage and naturopathy are sacrificed in favor of often painful medical procedures and prescription drugs which can’t claim to permanently cure anything and can have many harmful side effects.</p>
<h3>Lack of Awareness</h3>
<p>“A patient that dabbles in holistic medicine for minor health issues such as indigestion, headache or insomnia often turns to conventional methods after receiving a serious diagnosis such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer because they are scared,” observes holistic physician Dr. Wendy Warner, medical director of Medicine in Balance, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The co-author of <em>Boosting Your Immunity for Dummies</em> suggests that relatively few people turn to natural solutions for both preventive and therapeutic measures because they’re unaware they exist.</p>
<p>Integrative oncologists and endocrinologists that are aware of the benefits of natural complementary methods are scarce. Relatively few conventional doctors are educated in functional medicine. “Yet complementary modalities such as acupuncture, massage and some essential oils can support the immune system and help an individual deal with stress experienced from coping with their illness,” says Warner.</p>
<h3>Outside Pressure</h3>
<p>Rob Wergin, an experienced energy medicine practitioner, speaks from experience regarding clients that consult him for life-threatening diagnoses. “When I see them, they’re desperate and have exhausted all conventional methods.</p>
<p>I’m their last-ditch effort,” remarks Wergin. The most frequent reason he hears is, “My family, friends and doctor told me not to waste my money on charlatans.”</p>
<p>“People find it challenging to put faith in natural methods and are nervous about going against a doctor’s advice until they feel or see positive results; even these may not provide sufficient motivation to continue with alternative treatments,” he says.</p>
<p>“I believe this is the result of the influence of pharmaceutical ads promising results, the medical community’s belief in proof solely through clinical trials, websites like Quackwatch.com and well-meaning friends insisting that the conventional route is the only way to go. It’s sad to see the gravity of these influences pulling clients back into solely believing in the Western model of medicine,” says Wergin.</p>
<p>Ann Lee, a doctor of naturopathy, acupuncturist and founder of the Health for Life Clinic, Inc., in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, notes, “This mindset continues to get reinforced by insurance companies that do not cover alternatives. Paying out of pocket for medical expenses also influences a patient’s choices.”</p>
<p>Kelly Noonan-Gores and Adam Schomer, director and producer, respectively, of the documentary film <em>HEAL</em>, suggest that unconscious conditioning plays the biggest role in an individual’s choices. “We are deeply conditioned to view medical specialists and prestigious medical institutions as the ones with all the answers. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t,” says Noonan-Gores, who intends to have her film awaken viewers to the possibilities of alternative paths of healing. As just one other example noted in the film, thousands have used the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), tapping on their body to help release the trauma and stress often associated with illness.</p>
<h3>Resistance to Change</h3>
<p>“The conventional medical community wants to maintain the model in which they have heavily invested centuries of time, energy and money. Patients that investigate integrative and complementary medicine may resist hearing that in order to get well, they might need to change their worldview and lifestyle, take a leave of absence from their job, develop a spiritual practice, exercise or maybe even leave a toxic relationship,” says Schomer.</p>
<p>“Conventional medicine says take this pill and keep living your life the same way,” says Schomer. “We are not demonizing doctors, pharmaceuticals or the medical system. We simply believe that individuals are more empowered to heal when they take control of their health.”</p>
<p>Eva Lee, a resident of Los Angeles featured in the documentary, suffers from a rare and unpredictable form of blistering skin inflammation. “I’ve tested negative for faulty genes and all sorts of rare viruses and bacteria, which helped point me towards holistic methods. So far, following the directives of Dr. Mark Emerson, a chiropractor specializing in nutrition, in Maui, Hawaii, who I met while filming, has helped my body become healthier and deal with inflammation levels that rapidly reduced as soon as I detoxed and eliminated meat and dairy from my diet,” says Lee. Still, it’s hard for her to accept that her condition could be due to the type of stress and suppressed emotions that Anthony William explores in his book <em>Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal</em>.</p>
<p>“Before, I wasn’t familiar with EFT, which I continue to use and benefit from. However, despite everything I’ve learned, I can’t give up on all Western medicine, put my faith in alternatives and let my intuition and faith guide me to healing. It’s easier to be skeptical than to have faith,” Lee says.</p>
<h3>Quiet Role Models</h3>
<p>Sheila Tucker, a resident of Navarre, Florida, has been a registered nurse for 20 years, practicing in hospital settings such as critical care, emergency and administration. “I know and understand doctors, surgeries and pharmaceutical treatments and hospitals,” says Tucker, who recalls that throughout her life she was taught to believe in a system that suddenly stopped working for her.</p>
<p>“In 2014, I was dying from a rare autoimmune condition, requiring full-time care, and planning my funeral. Doctors had tried everything, yet my health continued to decline. When I saw a friend’s Facebook posts about her use of essential oils, I was curious, but reluctant to reach out, and didn’t want anyone to know that I called her for advice,” recalls Tucker.</p>
<p>“Shortly after my friend arrived with her oils, my husband came home with our daughter, who had strep throat and a fever. She made us promise to use selected oils through the night and prayed with us.” Tucker attributes the miracle of her daughter’s turnaround the next morning to shifting her paradigm and opening her up to believing in the healing power of essential oils.</p>
<p>Thanks to her friend and role model, Tucker learned how to use therapeutic-grade oils, supplements and a healthy diet to cleanse her body of the heavy toxic load accumulated from several years of expensive drug treatments. Today, she is a healthy and enthusiastic advocate, and her personal results opened the eyes of her physician to the point where she also shifted her own philosophy of healing.</p>
<p>Tucker now offers educational classes in her office and online through her website <a href="http://FloridaOilsRN.com">FloridaOilsRN.com</a> that reaches hundreds of individuals worldwide. She advises, “Reach out to people that you see are having positive results with a different healing system than yours. Ask them to show, help and teach you. I’ve seen many people restored to health by using methods that science is only beginning to understand.”</p>
<h3>It’s a Marathon</h3>
<p>“Outside of any dominant paradigm, it’s easier to cast suspicion than to make curious inquiry and, over time, working within a dominant worldview creates polarity, the antithesis of ‘wholism’. An inclusive approach integrates all medical and complementary approaches, as well as interaction with the natural world,” says Patrick Hanaway, a family physician and founder of Family to Family Medicine, in Asheville, North Carolina.</p>
<p>Hanaway, the former director of medical education for the Institute for Functional Medicine and the first medical director at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, explains, “Doctors have a rigorous job filled with responsibility. Change is difficult and investigating vastly different ways of practicing medicine requires a degree of curiosity and openness. I am heartened by thought leaders and heads of top medical schools who are presently opening up to functional medicine, natural medicine and complementary approaches.”</p>
<p>“The paradigm shift we are ushering in has been 50 years in the making,” assesses Hanaway. “Some medical professionals are immersed in a polar view of right and wrong, offering personal attacks and disparaging comments to maintain control of the dialogue. This is not appreciated by patients who look to the doctor as a teacher—the Latin <em>docere</em> means to teach.</p>
<p>“The movement to change medicine and the cultural paradigm of healing is a marathon, not a sprint, and those of us involved are prepared to stay the course.”</p>
<p><br>
<em>Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for </em>Natural Awakenings<em>. Connect at <a href="http://LindaSechrist.com">LindaSechrist.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:9267ebb2-6ea4-4d9f-b4cb-4c92d450d1ce2019-08-15T21:15:28-07:002019-08-15T21:15:28-07:00Personalized Health Care: Functional Medicine Leads the Way2018-04-30 08:17:31 -0700Linda Sechrist<h3>Historical Overview</h3>
<p>During the last 25 years, a less drug-based grassroots model for dealing with chronic illnesses in the U.S. has emerged. First labeled holistic, the movement gained momentum as alternative approaches morphed into being considered complementary to conventional medicine, warranting studies by the National Institutes of Health. Responding to public interest, an integrative model of care that focuses on the whole person has taken root in medical institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio.</p>
<p>The latest evolution to a systems-oriented, patient-focused clinical model of functional medicine, which seeks to address causes of illness, rather than simply treat symptoms, has been garnering increasing interest by the public and pioneering medical professionals. It’s now maturing into personalized functional medicine.</p>
<h3>New Standard of Care</h3>
<p>One of the best-prepared, traditionally trained medical professionals in explaining this approach is Jeffrey S. Bland, Ph.D., recognized as the father of functional medicine, and author of <em>The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer and Happier Life</em>. He co-founded, with his wife, Susan, the Institute for Functional Medicine, in Washington, which provides a system geared to understanding the complexity of chronic illness and design individualized programs for more effective healing.</p>
<p>“Medical science didn’t have the advanced technology 25 years ago to perform the research that now helps us better understand the complexity of chronic illness, as well as our present ecological view of the body. Today we’re examining how all the networks of our biology intersect in a dynamic process that creates health when in balance or disease when out of balance,” attests Bland, whose career has focused on searching for a unifying principle behind all healing that can be used to discern the best possible therapy for specific individuals.</p>
<p>Incorporating what he learned from Linus Pauling, Ph.D., two-time Nobel Prize laureate, and Lee Hood, M.D., Ph.D., as well as systems biology and practicing lifestyle medicine, Bland founded the nonprofit <a href="http://PLMInstitute.org">Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute</a> in 2012. Seeking to transform the entire medical approach to chronic illness, the Seattle-based organization is a virtual and onsite hub for health professionals, researchers, educators and the public to share ideas and converse about how personalized functional medicine can be delivered to everyone as an improved standard of care.</p>
<h3>Role of Genetics</h3>
<p>The National Human Genome Research Institute, in Bethesda, Maryland, maintains that an evolved approach to medicine starts with using an individual’s genetic profile to determine the best path to preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases. By 2003, scientists had delivered the first essentially complete sequence and map of all the genes in the human body.</p>
<p>Three decades ago, the medical fraternity had few reliable explanations for the origins of chronic health issues. Today, accepted factors include predispositions for a specific disease related to an individual’s genome, along with contemporary epigenetic influences such as nutrition, environment and lifestyle. None of these elements, however, necessarily define our destiny.</p>
<p>“This genomic personalized medicine approach is creating friends among all healing arts practitioners because it facilitates our using information to design a less-toxic environment, lifestyle, diet and treatment to meet an individual’s specific needs and particular circumstances that led to a disease,” says Bland.</p>
<p>“Diseases are only names assigned to a collection of symptoms,” says Bland. “They don’t indicate how the individual became afflicted. If 10 patients with Type 2 diabetes each had epigenetic variations that triggered getting the condition, it would be unwise to treat them all the same; it’s far better to treat those factors that specifically led to the disease.”</p>
<p>Addressing the concern that genetic test results might be used to deny someone health insurance, Bland notes, “This is a significant misunderstanding about genetic testing. Our genes don’t tell us how we are going to die. They tell us how we should live. Understanding how our genes can help us live to 100 is a model of enlightenment. Those that practice this systems biology approach are counting on functional personalized medicine becoming the updated standard of care.”</p>
<p>Physicians often offer genetic testing services. At-home DNA testing can be done using a saliva collection kit mailed to a laboratory, offering both ancestry and health information that must be interpreted by an informed professional.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for </em>Natural Awakenings<em>. Connect at <a href="http://LindaSechrist.com">LindaSechrist.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:c93bb381-300a-45b8-bd63-319db8e8fbf92019-08-19T11:55:22-07:002019-08-19T11:55:22-07:00This M.D. Daughter Helps Save Her Father’s Life with Functional Medicine2018-04-25 20:12:00 -0700Diane Herbst<p><span class="dropcap">D</span>ave Sood learned the devastating news on April 23, 2015: He had stage 4 metastatic cancer that was found in his lymph nodes. Doctors didn’t know where the disease was originating from, making chemotherapy and radiation “a shot in the dark,” Dave recalls. At one point, an oncologist at a prominent New York City hospital told Dave he had just months before the cancer would spread to his whole body if he didn’t start the treatment immediately.</p>
<p> After consulting with his daughter, Monica Sood, M.D., a board-certified anesthesiologist who now practices functional medicine at Kaya Health and Wellness/IV Nutrition Lounge, in Short Hills, Dave took an alternate route.</p>
<p> In addition to an eventual short course of chemotherapy once the cancer’s origin was determined, and by embracing his daughter’s prescription—one that includes IV therapy drips, juicing, eating an abundance of organic fruits and vegetables daily and taking a variety of supplements—Dave is not only cancer-free, but thriving.</p>
<p> “Right now, I am feeling great,” says Dave, 74, of Howell, New Jersey, a retired computer science professor and former university dean. “I have a new life.”</p>
<p> Monica recalls the day she found out about Dave’s diagnosis when he was 71. “It was completely unexpected,” she says. “His lymph nodes were enlarged. They were recommending chemotherapy based on the cell type, but we didn’t know where the cancer was coming from.”</p>
<p> It’s important to know where the cancer comes from so doctors can give directed treatment that targets the specific type of cancer cell, Monica explains.</p>
<p> “Knowing that the doctors were doing their best, my sister Priya and I didn’t want them attempting to guess which treatment would potentially work,” she says. “We weren’t willing to take a chance with all the side effects of chemotherapy without knowing where the cancer originated.”</p>
<p> As a functional medicine doctor, Monica works on getting to the root cause of disease and boosts the body’s immunity with a holistic approach that includes supplements, organic plant-based foods, IVs, exercise and improved social and spiritual connections.</p>
<p> Monica and Priya, a certified holistic health coach, created an extensive program to detoxify their father’s mind, body and home. Monica tested Dave for heavy metals, parasites and other toxins to see what she could rid the body of, and designed a personalized nutrition regimen that included organic homemade juices.</p>
<p> Monica also rid her parents’ home of synthetic chemicals, replacing them with non-toxic shampoos and household cleaners. They ordered an infrared sauna to help rid Dave’s body of the toxins he had accumulated, signed him up for meditation classes and ensured that he was surrounded by the love and support of family and friends.</p>
<p> “The sense of community grew so much,” Monica says. “We were overwhelmed with joy by the support of our extended family.”</p>
<p> Monica also trained extensively in IV therapies and started giving Dave twice-weekly IV infusions of vitamins and minerals.</p>
<p> After 10 months, and despite the cancer not getting worse, Dave gave in to the pressure he felt from some family members and underwent surgery in February of 2016 to remove his diseased lymph nodes.</p>
<p> “After that, things took a turn for the worse: The next scan showed the cancer had spread all over, including the liver,” Monica says. “We went to the doctor and he said, ‘There is not much time left; nothing can be done now.’”</p>
<p> Says Dave: “The worst part was when the doctor said, ‘You have weeks to live. Now is the time to pray and see everyone you want to see.’”</p>
<p> Desperate for a cure, the family took a trip to an alternative medical clinic in Mexico. After weeks of treatment, there was no improvement.</p>
<p> “I was feeling defeated,” Monica says, “but I was committed to finding a way.”</p>
<p> The next stop was at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which uses a combination of conventional and alternative treatments. CTCA confirmed that Dave’s cancer had originated in his rectum, and doctors could then begin a targeted chemotherapy on the advanced cancer.</p>
<p> While he underwent chemo, Monica continued to give Dave his twice-a-week IV infusions. “After two cycles of chemotherapy, the doctor told us, ‘The scan is negative,’” says Monica. “The doctor said in disbelief, ‘I haven’t seen a result like this in 30 years. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it. It’s working.’”</p>
<p> On August 7, 2016, Dave’s doctor declared him cancer-free, and he has continued the same regimen Monica had prescribed since his diagnosis.</p>
<p> “My friends don’t believe it,” says Dave. “They say, ‘We prepared ourselves not to see you.’”</p>
<p> “The conventional medicine in addition to my functional medicine approach was the answer for my father,’” says Monica. “My message is, using alternative therapies and functional medicine will restore physical energy, vigor and resilience. My father is in remission. He is thriving, and he is living a life full of vitality.”</p>
<p> Dave’s advice? “For a better life and a good, fruitful life, we need to take care of ourselves and not wait for a diagnosis,” he says. “Take care of your health and eat vegetables. Functional medicine is the way to go.”</p>
<p><em>Diane Herbst is a longtime freelance writer who is a correspondent for People magazine and has contributed to many other publications.</em></p>
<p><em>Monica Sood, M.D., is a board-certified anesthesiologist and functional medicine doctor at Kaya Health and Wellness and IV Infusion Lounge (<a href="http://IVInfusionLounge.com">IVInfusionLounge.com</a>), with offices at 51 JFK Pkwy., 1st Flr. West, Ste. 115, Short Hills, and 311 33rd St., Union City. To schedule an appointment, she can be reached at 973-996-4496 or <a href="mailto:Info@IVInfusionLounge.com">Info@IVInfusionLounge.com</a>.</em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:5dea7f31-4bbf-43f0-a409-2ac750ec91392019-08-19T11:55:20-07:002019-08-19T11:55:20-07:00Infrared Thermography: Messages from the Skin’s Surface2018-04-25 19:54:00 -0700Dr. Carol Chandler and Lisa Mack<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>hermography is a highly sensitive study of the largest, most intelligent and most available organ of the body: the skin. Many have seen the multi-colored images generated by thermography tests, but with little awareness of the wealth of information revealed.</p>
<p> The U.S. FDA accepts the following indications for use: “Thermography is intended for use as an adjunct to other clinical diagnostic procedures for quantifying and screening of differences in skin surface temperature changes.” Simply put, the definition covers every inch of the body, and allows thermography a supplemental place with recognized diagnostic tests, e.g., x-ray, mammogram, MRI, CT, etc. In fact, because the FDA specifically identifies thermography as an adjunct to mammography, anyone who has ever had a mammogram may also have a thermogram.</p>
<p> Thermography analyzes skin temperature changes on the surface of the body. This may sound simple, but the skin is like the body’s central processing unit; it’s a communication hub that functions as an interactive, bi-directional network of interconnections, sharing information between all systems, including but not limited to the neurological, immune and endocrine functions and pathways. The skin has the information, and thermography functions as the monitor, measuring and evaluating the metabolic signals and telling the story as it happens.</p>
<p> The skin offers non-verbal communication about our health that we can often see, even with our naked eyes; color changes can indicate a lack of oxygen, trauma, and exposure to chemicals, radiation, hot and cold conditions, embarrassment and stress. It also betrays signs of alcohol and tobacco abuse. These signs, along with visible skin disorders, are often a sign of morbidity or advanced damage, even psychological disorders.</p>
<p> Thermography, however, gives us a different, more telling look at the skin that we cannot see with our eyes. The skin is constantly experiencing dynamic change. Change that emits from the body as subtle voltage variations and thermography is the interface offering another set of eyes for the invisible, unique non- verbal communication. Not only is the skin a recipient of signals, it also produces hormones that are released into circulation. Even before the patient or provider is aware, the skin is already shouting “there are issues here!” and this invisible warning can be detected with an infrared device.</p>
<p> Thermography, or infrared imaging with its heightened sensitivity, allows us the ability to observe the body in the process of prioritizing problem areas for self-healing, and guides us to investigate these health clues with greater focus.</p>
<p>Today, people are more actively engaged in their commitment to stay healthy. Thermography is proving to be a useful, safe and inexpensive tool which anyone can include for personally monitoring their health.</p>
<p><em>Carol Chandler, D.O.M. Doctor of Oriental Medicine, is a board member of the International Association of Medical Thermographers. Lisa Mack, CCT, HHC is the owner of Lisa’s Thermography and Wellness with testing locations in New Jersey and New York. For information, call 855-667-9338. <a href="http://IAMTonline.org">IAMTonline.org</a>. <a href="http://LisasThermagraphyAndWellness.com">LisasThermagraphyAndWellness.com</a>.</em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:d1547416-bb7e-4739-a7f4-ea66eda392702019-08-19T11:55:22-07:002019-08-19T11:55:22-07:00Artificial Sweeteners Hinder Weight Loss and Wreck Your Health2018-04-25 19:49:00 -0700Kathy D’Agati<p><span class="dropcap">E</span>veryone knows eating sugar causes weight gain, diabetes and other health problems. That’s why many people switch from sugar to artificial sweeteners, believing the zero calorie sweeteners are a healthier alternative. However, nothing could be further from the truth.</p>
<p> Why do artificial sweeteners cause so much damage to the body? Exposure to the chemicals in artificial sweeteners creates changes in your gut bacteria, or microbiome. An imbalance in your microbiome causes dysbiosis, which leads to inflammation. Common inflammatory disorders include obesity, type 2 diabetes, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. Additional complications can include autoimmune disease, allergies, IBD, cancer and cardiovascular disease. An unhealthy microbiome causes people to get fat, sick, anxious, tired and depressed.</p>
<p> Since diet drinks don’t contain sugar, they don’t cause the body to secrete the hormone insulin. Insulin both lowers blood sugar and reduces the appetite. Studies show people who drink diet sodas end up eating more food, consuming more calories and eventually developing obesity.</p>
<p> In a new study, published in the highly-respected journal JAMA Neurology, reveals that for those who drank one or more artificially sweetened sodas a day, the risk of stroke was almost tripled, with a similar finding for Alzheimer’s risk. This is especially important because when it comes to strokes as well as Alzheimer’s disease, modern medicine offers little hope for patients.</p>
<p> French researchers published a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on the health effects of artificial sweeteners in relation to diabetes. They found that those who drank sugar-sweetened drinks had a 34% increase risk of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the women who drank artificially sweetened beverages had more than doubled that risk of developing diabetes.</p>
<p> Luckily, you can rebuild a healthy microbiome by making healthier food choices. Junk food, like those with artificial sweeteners, feeds the bad bacteria and allows them to proliferate. Fresh, whole foods like wild caught fish, cage-free eggs, grass-fed/pasture-raised meat, plant-based fats, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables feed the good bacteria. Fermented foods and probiotics are also great building blocks.</p>
<p> The more you understand how bacteria in your microbiome affects your genes and predisposes you to either good health or chronic disease, the more power you have over your destiny.</p>
<p> Be kind to your gut microbes. They can change your life.</p>
<p><em>Kathy D’Agati is Certified Holistic Nutrition Coach and a Certified Gluten Practitioner. Her company is Back to Basic Wellness. Kathy’s programs are designed to give you the support and guidance you need to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle. She specializes in food intolerances, acid reflux, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, persistent weight gain and autoimmune disease.</em></p>
<p><em>For more information, call Kathy at 866-222-6490 and go to <a href="http://BackToBasicsWellness.com">BackToBasicsWellness.com</a>. Take the diet evaluation quiz and schedule your free follow-up consultation to discuss your results.</em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:492086af-08fe-4c32-bf75-f67e4f01e5872019-08-15T22:11:25-07:002019-08-15T22:11:25-07:00Herbs Ease Polycystic Ovary Symptoms: Natural Remedy Provides Relief2018-03-30 09:56:57 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>ngesting a combination of five herbs while making healthy lifestyle changes significantly reduced symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome in a recent Australian study of 122 women published in <em>Phytotherapy Research</em>. The herbs were <em>Cinnamomum verum</em> (cinnamon), <em>Glycyrrhiza glabra</em> (licorice), <em>Hypericum perforatum</em> (St. John’s wort), <em>Paeonia lactiflora</em> (peony) and <em>Tribulus terrestris</em> (tribulus).</p>
<p>Menstrual cycles returned to normal duration for 55 percent of the women, and significant improvements occurred in body mass index, pregnancy rates, hormones, insulin sensitivity and blood pressure. Subjects also exhibited less depression, anxiety and stress.</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the April 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:d8bf7ae3-c766-4448-887c-59ca80ec30922019-08-15T21:44:12-07:002019-08-15T21:44:12-07:00Less REM-Stage Sleep Linked to Dementia Risk: Impact on Mental Acuity2018-03-30 09:56:56 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">P</span>eople that get less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may have a greater risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in <em>Neurology</em>. Following 321 people over age 60 for 12 years, Australian researchers found that those that developed dementia spent an average of 17 percent of their sleep time in REM sleep, compared to 20 percent for others. It also took them longer to get to that dream-generating stage.</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the April 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:f1f27450-898c-4fd0-8dd8-5795ec62ed002019-08-15T22:07:52-07:002019-08-15T22:07:52-07:00Air Pollution Linked to Psychological Distress: Mental Health Connection Found2018-03-30 09:56:52 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>ir pollution takes a toll on mental health, university of Washington researchers have concluded. By linking health data for 6,000 people to census tracts, they found that people living in areas with the highest levels of airborne fine particulate matter scored 17 percent higher in measures of psychological distress, including sadness, nervousness and hopelessness. The higher the level of particulates—emitted by car engines, fireplaces and fossil fuel power plants—the greater the impact.</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the April 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:ce09f07c-c204-4f35-bc91-dffa19c564052019-08-15T21:17:35-07:002019-08-15T21:17:35-07:00Touching the Earth: The Healing Powers of Going Barefoot2018-03-30 09:17:24 -0700Martin Zucker<p><span class="dropcap">M</span>elanie Monteith, of San Diego, California, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 24 and plagued by symptoms for 14 years. Simple daily tasks became challenging. She relied on walking aids and walls to keep from falling. Eventually, she quit her job. Every day tested her survival skills. Then, in late 2017, Monteith tried grounding and it changed her life.</p>
<p>Grounding, also called Earthing, refers to the discovery of major health benefits from sustained contact with the Earth’s natural and subtle electric charge. Recent research published in the <em>Journal of Inflammation, Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, Neonatology </em>and<em> Health</em> indicates that grounding stabilizes the physiology in many ways, drains the body of inflammation, pain and stress, and generates greater well-being. </p>
<p>Grounding can be as simple as going barefoot in nature, including the backyard, for 30 to 60 minutes once or twice a day on surfaces like grass, soil, gravel, stone and sand. If this isn’t practical, special grounding mats and pads are available online for convenient indoor use while sitting or sleeping; people with compromised health often benefit from more time being grounded.</p>
<p>The activity restores a primordial electric connection with the Earth that has been lost with modern lifestyles. We wear shoes with insulating, synthetic soles and live and work elevated above the ground. These overlooked lifestyle factors may contribute to increasing global rates of chronic illnesses. Grounding revitalizes us, akin to charging a weak battery, because our bodies operate electrically and our movements and thoughts are based on electrical signals. We are bioelectric beings. </p>
<p>Eighteen years of grounding research in a variety of indoor settings, plus grassroots feedback from around the world, clearly show that our bodies operate more effectively when grounded. We sleep better, have less pain, more energy and even look better. Here are some of the documented benefits.</p>
<h3>Reduction of chronic inflammation</h3>
<p>“Inflammation is intimately linked to most chronic and aging-related diseases,” says Gaétan Chevalier, Ph.D., a visiting scholar at the University of California, San Diego, who has conducted multiple grounding studies. “Grounding seems to be nature’s way to reduce inflammation.”</p>
<h3>Enhanced blood flow</h3>
<p>Thick, sludgy blood is a common feature of diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Several grounding studies have demonstrated a significant decrease in blood viscosity and enhanced blood flow. “Grounding represents a potent circulation booster; a simple, yet profound preventive and therapeutic strategy,” says integrative cardiologist Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra, of Manchester, Connecticut, co-author of the book <em>Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever!</em></p>
<p class="pullquote">In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.<br>
~Aristotle</p>
<h3>Decreased stress</h3>
<p>Tracy Latz, a medical doctor and integrative psychiatrist in Mooresville, North Carolina, has found, “Patients with anxiety issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and depression, often benefit from grounding.”</p>
<h3>Improved vagus nerve function</h3>
<p>The vagus nerve connects with and regulates key organs, including the lungs, heart and intestines. In one study, doctors at the Penn State Children’s Hospital, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, grounded hospitalized premature infants and documented improved vagal function that could potentially boost resilience and reduce complications. “These babies have a lot of health challenges,” observes Dr. Charles Palmer, former chief of the center’s division of newborn medicine. “It seems that they are more relaxed when grounded.” More research is needed.</p>
<p>Within a few months of grounding both day and night, Monteith’s disease symptoms receded dramatically. Her balance and stability improved when standing and walking. She sleeps more deeply and has more energy. An eye issue for which there is no drug subsided. She says her health continues to improve and she looks forward to living each day.</p>
<p>Troy Baker, a recovery consultant for special populations and chief program officer of the nonprofit Adapt Functional Movement Center, in Carlsbad, California, who has been overseeing Monteith’s exercise training schedule, has observed a reduction in the effects of multiple sclerosis since she started grounding. “Her body is more fluid, not as stiff. She moves much better, with increased energy and stamina.” </p>
<p><br>
<em>For more information on grounding, visit <a href="http://EarthingInstitute.net">EarthingInstitute.net</a>.</em></p>
<p><br>
<em>Martin Zucker, a former Associated Press correspondent, has written about alternative medicine for 40 years and is co-author of the book </em>Earthing<em>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the April 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:987b21ba-fb50-45fa-a1cf-bdba4848cce22019-08-19T11:56:32-07:002019-08-19T11:56:32-07:00Healing Through Yoga2018-03-26 17:03:00 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">F</span>or 17 years, Rosie Lazroe has been healing through yoga. It began in the spring of 2001, when she found herself laying in a hospital emergency room with a resting heart rate over 150 bpm. As the ER nurse was about to inject medication to reboot her heart rhythm, Rosie felt a cold rush flow through her body and then faintly heard her dad tell her to open her eyes. After receiving a second injection, her heart rate slowed down.</p>
<p>Her visit to the emergency room was not a surprise. Months prior, she had been diagnosed with sinus tachycardia, a condition in which the heart rate elevates higher than 100 beats per minute. To keep her heart beating normally, she was prescribed Inderal, a heart medication that unfortunately, caused a severe adverse reaction. She didn’t want to continue taking the medicine but she did not know an alternative. After her ER experience, though, she decided to change doctors, and found a cardiologist who would change her life forever. After a series of examinations, echo cardiograms and discussions, he asked: “Have you tried yoga?”</p>
<p>“I did have a passing interest in yoga, but I knew almost nothing about it,” states Rosie. “I began to research and found Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden’s AM/PM Yoga on VHS. With a beach towel and the belt from my bathrobe, I didn’t have any yoga props at the time, I dedicated 20 minutes each morning and evening to stretch, breathe and be still. Sometimes I wondered if I was “doing it right,” but the effects on my health were profound.” Over the next few months, Rosie discovered she could keep her heart healthy with minimal medication, and eventually stopped taking medication entirely.</p>
<p>Seventeen years later, she continues to explore a home practice in addition to taking and teaching public yoga classes. Today, many healthcare professionals incorporate yoga into their treatments. Through her story, Rosie hopes to inspire people to ask their doctors how yoga might benefit them. </p>
<p><em>Rosie Lazroe is a certified yoga teacher and master reiki practitioner. For more information, you can contact her at 732-596-7384, <a href="mailto:Yoga@NaturalAwakeningsNJ.com">Yoga@NaturalAwakeningsNJ.com</a> or visit <a href="http://RosieLazroe.com">RosieLazroe.com</a>.</em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>urn:uuid:369c889c-030c-4b81-818e-d055585aa8162019-08-19T11:56:34-07:002019-08-19T11:56:34-07:00GUIDED AND EMPOWERED: Sue Greenwald Follows Her Expo Dreams2018-03-26 16:43:00 -0700Anonymous<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>ue Greenwald has always been passionate about new ideas, healthy lifestyles and spiritual development, “walking the talk” by teaching yoga for 17 years and becoming a certified holistic health counselor, energy healer and ordained minister. She even operated a wellness center that offered yoga, dance, healing energy treatments, massage and a variety of spiritual and self-development classes.</p>
<p> The Empowered Light Holistic Expo started as an idea that grew and wouldn’t leave. Regularly pulling together gatherings, such as writers groups, networking groups and classes of various types, Greenwald began to imagine how she’d operate an expo as well as other larger events. “I love the dynamic that comes from working with like-minded people,” she explains, “but my first reaction to these wonderings were, ‘No way! You don’t know anything about expos, and where would you find the time?’”</p>
<p> Greenwald listened to the negative voice for six months. During that time her expo ideas grew into a mild obsession, and she realized that this wasn’t just a crazy idea—it was a dream she needed to pursue.</p>
<p> Knowing that the best way to manifest something is to visualize it, Greenwald created a vision of the successful expo she wanted and then took the risk of renting an enormous space at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, in Oaks, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia—big enough to hold the expo she held in her mind. She contacted a variety of holistic practitioners and vendors, beginning with the large number of contacts she had from her wellness center.</p>
<p> Greenwald learned everything by doing it. “I have a saying,” she shares. “Make a decision, then make it right.” She worked night and day, her efforts culminating in the first Empowered Light Holistic Expo in October, 2016. A true manifestation of her vision, it was a collaboration of expert speakers and vendors, promoting healthy lifestyles by offering healing products, services, inspiration and information.</p>
<p> Now in its third year, the expo is held the last weekend of April and September in Oaks. <img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/576804/SPOT_EmpoweredLight-v_0418.jpg">The next expo will be held April 27 to 29. Each expo offers over 50 inspiring talks in four different rooms, with last October’s expo hosting several international speakers. The vendor floor promotes more than 100 holistic vendors. Psychic and intuitive readings are available, as well as healthy food samples. “Everyone needs something different, so the expo offers a large variety. Sometimes people need a contact, or a like-minded friend, and it’s easy to make great connections at the expo,” Greenwald offers.</p>
<p> Response to the expo has been so positive that Greenwald is starting a similar expo in Nashville, Tennessee, this October. “I found that I was being called to move away from my wellness center and work exclusively on the expos and other events. They are my passion all day, every day, and I never tire of it,” she enthuses.</p>
<p> Empowered Light has recently added spiritual, light-adventure retreats called Empowering Journeys to their list of events, visiting Mexico in February of 2019 for a light-adventure tour. Also being created are events called Raise Your Vibe, which focus more on workshops with a concentrated theme.</p>
<p> Greenwald offers, “I have big plans for the expo and am trying to ensure that it has a solid foundation before it grows again. I want to make the expo an international success, where people can come for the connection and inspiration that they need. I want to make a really big impact on the world, in my own way.”</p>
<p><em>Cost: $5-$20 admission, which includes most talks and workshops. Location: 100 Station Ave., Halls D and E, Oaks. For tickets and more information, visit <a href="http://EmpoweredLight.com">EmpoweredLight.com</a>.</em></p>
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<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakeningsnj.com">Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey</a></small></p>