Natural Sunscreen Recipe

6 tbsp of coconut oil

2 tbsp almond or grapeseed oil

2 tbsp finely powdered zinc oxide (or less if you want a less white sunscreen)

3 tsp shea butter

2 tsp beeswax pellets

Combine the ingredients, in order listed, in a thick glass jar or measuring cup.  Create a bain marie, with a pot of shallow water and place the vessel in the water, being careful that the water doesn’t get into your ingredients.  Let it simmer until the ingredients have all melted together.

Mix thoroughly with a hand blender to ensure the zinc oxide is distributed evenly throughout.  Let cool before applying.

Case Study On A Patient With Chronic Pain

A 28-year-old female came to see me with the primary concern of chronic, whole body pains. Before coming to see me, she had been suffering from these pains for 5 years.  She did numerous blood tests and everything came back normal.  She had been taking painkillers for years, which were no longer effective. 

At the first visit, I recommended that she do further bloodwork (to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme’s disease and fibromyalgia) and I had her do a food allergy test.  I also recommended fish oils (to reduce any inflammation) and had her do a specific detoxification that focused on inflammation.

A month later, she reported a slight improvement, only 15%.  We discussed the food allergy results and I had her remove all foods that she was reacting to.  I also had her take one supplement that balanced hormone levels.

She came back 3 months later and was very excited to discuss her health status.  Her body aches basically went away, maybe slight aches during her period.  She was very happy with the improvements.

Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

Many people are under the assumption that the only group of individuals that are at risk for osteoporosis are women of post menopausal age.  This is certainly not the case.  Although this age group is at a higher risk due to the estrogen deficiency, there are life style factors that put people at risk as well. 

• Chronic, long term high stress - stress leads to elevated cortisol levels.  Chronic stress leads to impaired bone building because of the cortisol production
• Insufficient physical exercise - weight bearing exercise are recommended 3x a week
• Low calcium intake - even though dairy provides a good amount of calcium, many people have dairy allergies or sensitivities.  There are many other foods that contain calcium such as green leafy vegetable, almonds, sesame seeds and soy products
• Low Vitamin D - the best source of vitamin D is from the sun and since this is not always a viable option, supplementation is beneficial
• High phosphorous intake - meat and carbonated drinks are high in phosphorus which can inhibit calcium absorption
• Low stomach acid - as we age, stomach acid can decrease and this affects how nutrients are absorbed

Acupunture Has Been Proven To Reduce Hayfever Symptoms

A recent study was done on 422 people with grass and pollen allergies.  Results showed that regular acupuncture sessions reduced severity of symptoms and less anti-histamines were required.

For more information, view this link:

http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/health/an-alternative-antihistamine-20130313

5 Nuritional Tips for Balancing Your Blood Sugar

• Choose carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (examples of low gyclemic foods include blueberries, barley, broccoli and hummus while white bread, chocolate and potatoes are high glycemic foods)
• Get adequate protein
• Avoid fats from meat and dairy products (saturated fats)
• Increase the good fats (fish and olive oil)
• Increase fiber consumption (fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates)

Are you Zinc deficient?

Zinc is a mineral that is required for many organ functions.  It is needed for liver function and for serotonin, insulin and immune cell production.  It stabilizes histamine responses and prevent free radical  damage (or overload) in the body.

A zinc deficiency can show up in the following ways:

• diabetes
• food allergies or sensitivities
• recurrent infections
• delayed wound healing
• arthritis
• hair loss
• eczema
• infertility
• depression
• insomnia
• behavioral disorders

 How do you know if you are Zinc deficient?  There is a simple test that can be done at my office, called a Zinc Tally test.  It takes about 2 minutes and the results are immediate. 

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Leaky Gut, also known as Increased Intestinal Permeability is described as an inflammatory condition in which the intestines become unable to filter large proteins or toxic molecules.  These particles then enter the bloodstream and can trigger destructive immune and degenerative responses. 

What are some causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome?

• eating processed foods
• excessive NSAID (ie Advil) use
• eating too quickly, not chewing food properly, drinking liquids with meals
• intestinal infections
• delayed transit time - not eating enough fiber
• eating too many refined sugars
• eating foods that you might be allergic or intolerant to
• diets high in saturated fats
• chronic alcohol consumption

What are the symptoms?

• gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea - Irritable Bowel symptoms
• food allergies
• allergies
• eczema and other skin issues
• fatigue
• headaches
• moodiness
• muscle/joint pain
• poor concentration
• hormone imbalance
• sinus and respiratory symptoms and asthma
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (colitis, Crohn's)
• Celiac disease

Can it be treated?
Yes it can.  The first step in treatment involves removing the cause.  Then it varies depending on the severity of the symptoms and how long they have been present.  There are excellent treatments that can be used to help rebuild and repair the intestinal damage.