Drug Safety |

April 27, 2010

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Should You Avoid Kombucha Tea?

Carpe Diem Kombucha Cranberry

Why take chances with your health?

Dr. Brent a Bauer, an internist at the Mayo Clinic says:
“until definitive studies quantify the risks and benefits of Kombucha tea, it’s prudent to avoid it.”

Dr. Bauer says that there are no studies you can trust.

Well duh, Dr. Bauer.  Nobody is going to get rich selling Kombucha.  I mean, there are successful companies selling Kombucha, but they are not BIG business.

Big Pharma really likes LARGE profit.  Much much larger than the natural foods companies are making.  Any study that proves the value of Kombucha could only damage their sales.

You might not find research studies on Kombucha, but you can find LOTS of personal testimonials.

I’d love to share my personal Kombucha story!

About 6 years ago, I found out that I was expecting another baby.  My daughters were 8 and 11 years old, so the thought of starting over again made me feel a bit weary.  I wasn’t nearly as overwhelmed as my doctor was though!

I had been living with auto immune symptoms for about 7 years, and my doctor insisted that I terminate the pregnancy.  She was convinced that I would have a tough time carrying a child to term and an even tougher time raising one with my health issues.

Since I just could not come to terms with killing my unborn child, I decided against abortion.

Much to my surprise, my symptoms of pain and stiffness began to fade and then vanished over the course of my pregnancy.  I had been managing my symptoms with diet, supplements and exercise fairly well, but about half way through my pregnancy, it was evident that I was not living with the symptoms any more.

I was healed by pregnancy!

Unfortunately, I had another issue to deal with.  From conception, I was unable to hold food down very well.  Eating was definitely a challenge.  I had to force myself to eat, and then it usually came back up.

It was a long haul, but the morning after my little guy was born, my appetite returned to normal.  However, the 9 months had taken a huge toll on my body.

My little boy was a high maintenance baby, and I had very little help since I lived in a very isolated area.  Within 2 months, I got very sick with an abscess in my neck.

After a short hospitalization and VERY powerful antibiotics I was on the mend.  Unfortunately, the antibiotics had totally wiped out my normal healthy gut flora.

I began to bleed from my rectum!

My doctor recommended surgery, but I was not about to agree to that without looking for alternatives.

While chatting with a neighbor at a community picnic, I heard about the magic of Kombucha tea.  I went directly to the natural food store and bought my first bottle.

YUCK!  The stuff tasted like vinegar!  But hey, I’d try anything, so I kept with it.  After a while the tea didn’t taste so bad, and much to my surprise I really began to enjoy it!

The bleeding from my bowel stopped completely.  I was thrilled to have found such an easy fix to such a worrisome problem.

I found that if I ate processed foods or sugar, that the bleeding would start again.  However, if I avoided sugar, ate whole foods, and made sure to get several large doses of Kombucha tea each week, I continued to heal.

Today, I crave Kombucha tea even though my bowel issues are long gone!  I always keep it around for its nurturing benefits and it’s great for symptoms of indigestion.  Even my kids know that if their tummy hurts, Kombucha tea will help.

This is just my story, but you can find many testimonials online from thrilled people who have discovered this powerful healing elixer.

Dr. Bauer sites homemade Kombucha as being dangerous because it has the potential for contamination.  You can purchase quality Kombucha from many natural foods companies.  My favorite is GT’s Synergy Kombucha.

If your budget will not support plenty of commercial Kombucha, then check out the information and starter kits that are available online.

Back to the question I asked you in the beginning of this post ….

Why take chances with your health?

Dr. Fred Bloem recently sent me an email message that shines a light on just how willing those in power are to take chances with your health.

Dr. Bloem says: Continue reading article →

Meditation&Exercise |

April 9, 2010

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Are You Dealing With Health Related Issues From Work Related Stress?

Get it Over With

Do you wake up every morning sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?

Does the thought of getting up to go to work turn your stomach?

The work related stress that you have come to accept as normal may end up making you sick.

Kay was a very successful advertising executive and said she thrived on the stress at work.  She said the stress level made her more alert and pushed her past her comfort zone.

When she had been on the job about 3 years, she started having uncomfortable symptoms that often took her off her game, and started effecting her work performance.

She came to me hoping to sharpen her edge, so to speak, because she was hoping for a big promotion and she knew that her fatigue and illness were hurting her chances.

Before Kay could heal her symptoms, I had to help her create a paradigm shift. Kay did not value relaxation. If she spent more than 10 minutes visiting with a friend, she felt pressured to “get something done”.

Kay’s goals were all about money and things.

Kay had forgotten what life is all about.

As we covered her history I could see that there was a lot of pain in Kay’s past and not a lot of fun in her present.

The first time Kay followed my instructions to “sit with stillness for 10 minutes” she called me and asked me why I wanted her to torture herself.

I encouraged Kay to stick with it, and to ask herself what she feels and what she might have to say during that 10 minutes that she is devoting to nurture herself.

Kay didn’t like to walk or eat fruit either, but “sitting with stillness” was cruel and unusual punishment in her eyes.

By the end of week one of Kay’s New Personal Program, she reported feeling much better.  Her focus and clarity were the biggest improvement.  Her tension headaches and afternoon fatigue had not stopped but they were much less intense and frequent.  She was sleeping much better and her blood pressure was down.

At the 2 week mark Kay admitted that she had stopped trying to do the “10 minutes of sitting with stillness” because every time she did it she cried.

I asked her what she was feeling when she cried.

She said the only thing she felt was ridiculous that she was sitting in her living room crying for no apparent reason.

After a good chat about why crying is beneficial and healing, Kay reluctantly agreed to keep trying to practice her program.  She was really encouraged when I suggested that she may not need to figure out what she is crying about.  The story behind the tears is not always necessary.

“Maybe you just need to cry.”

The very next week, Kay had completely changed her opinion of “sitting with stillness”.  She wanted to know more.  I encouraged her to try Holosync technology.

Kay really didn’t have an easy time surrendering to relaxation.  She entertained us both with her stories of struggle and triumph.  Holosync technology, which actually puts you in a state of meditation, “felt like cheating”, Kay said.  “Being still was so hard, but it got easy when I started using Holosync.”

Today Kay will tell you that deep relaxation is a very valuable skill.  It requires focused attention.  She grew strength and learned a lot about herself, really improving her work performance.  By the time she got the promotion, she was flirting with the idea of a career change.

Health related issues from work related stress creep into your life gradually.  Maybe you don’t even see your health issues as work related, but work related stress certainly weakens your immune system and contributes to any disease process you’ve got going on.

Scientists say that the length and quality of your life is determined by how well you use your lungs.

Stress is like living in a vice!  It’s pretty tough to breathe in a vice!

Stress kills!

Do you know how to breathe better? Continue reading article →

Drug Safety |

April 5, 2010

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Before You Drug Yourself, Do You Research Prescription Drug Information?

Before You Drug Yourself

Recently I was contacted by a web site that devotes itself to making patients aware of drug recalls, black box warnings, side effects, and other details about prescription drug information as well as over the counter meds they may be using.

They would like me to send you to their web site for your safety and protection.  I am happy to do so.

I just wanted to point out to you that drug companies do not research drug interactions.

Any drug interaction on record is available because some poor soul suffered from experiencing the bad reaction AND it was reported.

If drug companies spent money to discover drug interactions they would hurt their drug sales.  They would make less money for their stock holders, and they are not about to spend money to make less money.

Please be aware that the profit of their stock holders is without a doubt more important to the drug company administration than is their concern for you.

The following statement is from DrugWatch.com.

Drug Watch: Accutane, Yaz & Heart Disease

By providing FDA alerts, drug interactions and up to date information about prescription and over the counter medications, we can ensure an environment where patients have the best knowledge on their medical treatment and health.  The safety and protection of consumers and patients must be the focal point of modern medicine.

(As I said above, safety and protection must be the focal point, but the truth is that it ISN’T.  Drug Watch.com is simply working to protect you as best they can.)

Two drugs that have recently been in the news are Yaz and Accutane. Both of these can cause several side effects, including cardiovascular problems.

DrugWatch.com educates visitors by providing access to a database of thousands of medications and associated side effects. DrugWatch.com is updated daily with news breakthroughs, information about medications currently involved in clinical trials, up-and-coming drug recalls, and Food and Drug Administration warnings.

(Please be aware that adverse drug reactions are only recorded if they are reported. As a consumer, it is your duty to report any adverse reactions you experience from drugs. If you don’t, others may not have access to the information. You can go to the FDA web site to report incidence of adverse reaction.)

YAZ & ACCUTANE

Drospirenone, known as “Yaz,” was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on March 16, 2006 as an oral contraceptive to prevent against pregnancy, treat acne and treat the symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The medication contains the hormone estrogen and a type of progestin called drospirenone to prevent ovulation.

Yaz and Accutane both share several relationships, including:  Continue reading article →