Relaxation is the key.  A great relaxation technique is to lie on the floor with you bottom all the way to the wall.  Put your legs up on the wall and relax with your eyes closed for 10 minutes.   Do this technique (2) times per day. It is a great alternative to meditation and takes no effort whatsoever.  It takes the stress off of your nervous system and aids significantly in relaxation.  Over time this technique will undoubtedly help you sleep, reduce stress and anxiety.  Meditation and relaxation have well researched and well documented studies that show significant improvement in health in conditions ranging from high blood pressure to concentration.  This is a great technique to do in conjunction with the Magnesium Supplementation.

Depression is practically an epidemic. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t have a patient that complains of some form of depression. We have many tools in our chest for depression, but I want to focus in this article on one in particular.

Sunlight!  Most of us work in an office.  We go from our houses to cars and from our cars to work.  We are told in the media that sunlight is dangerous.  Sun is going to give us skin cancer.  So we slather on the sunscreen (which is laden with toxic chemicals making the propensity for cancer worse) to protect ourselves and avoid the sun at all costs.

While it is definitely dangerous to “worship the sun”, so to speak, a daily dose of exposing your skin (as much as possible) without sunglasses for 15-20 minutes daily, is just what the doctor ordered. The benefits from this therapy offer benefits to our bodies, our enzyme systems, our mood, and also produces Vitamin D, which is essential for absorption of calcium into our bones, is priceless.

I recommend Light Therapy Boxes and Full Spectrum Lighting for:

• SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
• Jet Lag
• Winter Depression
• Sleep Therapy and Sleep Disorders

Studies have shown that utilizing Full Spectrum Light Boxes or the actual sun is beneficial for:

• Lowering blood pressure
• Increasing efficiency of the heart (heart becomes stronger and pumps more blood)
• Improves EKG readings and blood work in patients with atherosclerosis
• Reduces cholesterol
• Assists in weight loss (this may be due to the fact that it stimulates the thyroid gland which increases metabolism and thereby burning calories
• Effective in treating psoriasis, asthma and tuberculosis – among many other diseases
• Increases level of sex hormones (extremely beneficial from an anti-aging standpoint)
• Stimulates the immune system – via the production of vitamin D

While getting actual sun is ideal – I still highly recommend having one of these boxes in your home or office. There is a tremendous amount of additional information regarding this topic available on the web.

Be aware of this sneaky ingredient that pops up in the oddest of places…(MSG) Monosodium Glutamate.  It has many alias’…But by any other name…it’s still as dangerous.

Contain Monosodium Glutamate:

• Glutamate 
• Glutamic acid
• Gelatin
• Monosodium glutamate
• Calcium caseinate
• Textured protein
• Monopotassium glutamate
• Sodium caseinate
• Yeast nutrient
• Yeast extract
• Autolyzed yeast
• Hydrolyzed protein (any protein that is hydrolyzed)

OFTEN contains MSG or can create it during processing:

• Carrageenan
• Maltodextrin Malt extract
• Natural pork flavoring
• Citric acid
• Malt flavoring
• Bouillon
• Broth
• Natural chicken flavoring
• Soy protein isolate
• Natural beef flavoring
• Ultra-pasteurized Soy sauce
• Stock Barley malt
• Soy sauce extract
• Whey protein concentrate
• Pectin Soy protein
• Whey protein
• Protease
• Soy protein concentrate
• Whey protein isolate
• Protease enzymes
• Anything protein fortified
• Flavors(s) & Flavoring(s)
• Anything enzyme modified
• Anything fermented
• Natural flavor(s) & flavoring(s)
• Enzymes
• Anything ingredient listed as “Seasonings”

This little guy is a secret ingredient that has been shown in recent studies to actually cause weight gain. This horrible, very unhealthy and down-right dangerous ingredient is used in the great name of being a “flavor enhancer”.  It is common to go to various restaurants and see signs that say “no added MSG” and while this is a great thing…the problem lies in that it can and most often is used in the processing of the food before it reaches the restaurant.

MSG is considered an “excitotoxin,” which means that it functions in the system by exciting the neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are your master brain chemicals. We can test them to determine your levels with a simple urine test. This will help us to determine a very fundamental state of your health. The imbalances that are shown on the results can be corrected very easily with some extraordinary products.

MSG being an “excitotoxin” has been linked to many various conditons ranging from simple headaches to severe strokes and seizues. I don’t know about you…but neither of those things,  nor anything in between, sound all that great to me.  It is in your best interest to avoid them at all costs. There are so many times that I pass people in restaurants and coffee shops putting 2-4 packets of the “pink” blindly in their coffee – having no idea just how dangerous it is.   Just because it sits on the shelf in the grocery store doesn’t mean that its safe. The FDA has a classification where they distinguish ingredients as G.R.A.S. which means ”Generally Regarded As Safe”. Under this classification if they state that something is “natural” it just means that is once started out as natural…doesn’t also mean that its safe.  Again, here I can’t stress and reinterate enough you must be an advoate for your own health.

Read the book “Excitotoxins – The Taste that Kills” by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.  In this book, your eyes will be opened so wide about the dangers of MSG, as well as other harmful chemicals, that I highly recommend you avoid (i.e.: saccharin, aspartame, sucralose – pink, blue and yellow respectivly).

Removing and eliminating the MSG from your life is not an easy undertaking, I am sorry to say.  Especially if you eat out very often.  A great place to start on this journey of removing harmful chemicals from your life is to completly avoid anything with MSG!  See the list above for other names that MSG might be called on a label.

Tips for Avoiding MSG

• Organic whenever possible.
• Prepare your own food. Use ingredients, spices and foods that are not processed.
• When using spices, pre-packed foods, etc. make a trip to a Health Food Store and buy them without the harmful ingredients.

It’s your life and your health we are talking about.  I’m sure that the cost will be made up in increased energy, less doctor visits and missed work.  I assure you that just because you are eating organic and healthy that is doesn’t have to taste bad.  Ask any of my friends and family – I love to eat.  I love the taste of food.  When Julia Child was asked by her husband what she liked to do, her reply was “eat”!  That is so me! I have been doing it for years and while I understand and sympathize with the expense it is worth it and the healthy alternatives most often actually taste better than those chemical laden counterparts.

A few good example of previous recommendations are switching from table salt to sea salt and from conventional ground beef to grass-fed organic beef.  Give them a try for a few months then try your “old friends” again – and you will quickly see why I recommend the things that I do.

Foods and products that you may not realize contain MSG are: chips, candy, gum, medications, vitamin and nutritional supplements, vaccines and bottled drinks. I am not trying to scare you, I just want you to be aware and be careful. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

REVOXIL I don’t know about you…but that picture just makes me sick.  I worked with a veterinarian for many years.  It was there that I realized parasites totally creeped me out.  We routinely checked for them in animals.  For some reason it seems to be lost in the conventional medical community.  Common sense dictates that if its a problem in animals and we have animals then just that thread of thought along would tell us to at least be aware that it could be a problem!

Chances are that you probably have them.  For the most part they are no big deal.  There are so many things within our system that we can handle without any issues.  However, many things can cause anyone of them to go out of balance.  These can include bacteria, virus, yeast and fungus.  Our systems are in a delicate balance and there are things that we do daily without realizing it that can cause them to be imbalanced – then something like the parasites can actually become problematic.

Parasites are gross little bugs that sustain off us, their “host”.  They set up shop in our bodies and become very comfortable and complacent and don’t want to leave. They can be very difficult to get rid of – so please be patient as it will take time.  One of the main symptoms of parasites is fatigue.  This is due to the fact that they place a tremendous amount of stress on the body and are actually consuming and causing the body to expend tremendous amount of energy to try and combat those pesky little critters.

If you are looking for a cleanse, a parasite cleanse in a great place to start.  Parasites can cause a whole “host” (no pun intended) of symptoms.

• Anemia
• Respiratory & Breathing Issues
• Headaches & Migraines
• Skin Issues such as Eczema
• Liver and Gallbladder Issues
• Fatigue
• Weight Gain or Weight Loss
• Yeast Infections and Candida
• The Whole Array of Digestive Issues – bloating, constipation and diarrhea

The product that I recommend for folks to use to get parasite issues under control is called Revoxil. What an amazing product! It contains all the ingredients that are so effective at returning the system to homeostasis (balance) from a parasitic perspective without the difficulty of having to swallow nasty tasting herbs. This product is a highly absorbable and extremely utilizable gel capsule that is incredibly easy to swallow.

Be sure to take it with a bit of food.  It is not uncommon for you to “taste” garlic due to the high concentrations present in the capsules.  However, rest assured that it is working.

The nutritional support in Revoxil will help your rid your body of disease and fatigue causing parasites with a proprietary blend of black walnut hull, wormwood, garlic, clove seed and catechu seed from Healthwalk.

Donna Gate’s of Body Ecology (www.bodyecology.com) has some staggering statistics on her site about parasite…I have included the main one’s below…

If you thought parasites were only in undeveloped countries, you may be surprised to find out how common they are in the U.S., for example:

• According to the Centers for Disease Control, Trichomonas, a sexually transmitted disease, is the most common parasitic infection in the U.S. accounting for 7.4 million new cases annually. ¹
• More than 60 million people in the U.S. are infected by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which causes the disease toxoplasmosis and can be symptomless, cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph gland or organ damage.²

1 Trichomonas Infection. Centers for Disease Control.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/trichomonas/default.htm

2 Toxoplasmosis. Centers for Disease Control.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/factsht_toxoplasmosis.htm#what

Please be advised that the general consensus on implementing a parasite eradication program but be a commitment of 4-6 months. Then 1-2 months per year there after to maintain good health. It is not uncommon for parasites to be reintroduced to the system. Even in the U.S. parasites are everywhere. We can even get them from our pets.

The recommended dosing from the manufacturer for Revoxil is one (1) capsule three (3) times per day for thirty (30) days.  After thirty (30) days take one (1) capsule daily for ninety (90) days. Then take a hiatus from the Revoxil.  This is an aggressive anti-parasite program.   It is not recommend to begin such a protocol without assistance from a healthcare practitioner who is well versed in these holitic, non-invasive methods of wellness. Click here now to setup a consultation with Dr. Skip to guide you through this process.

Please keep in mind that once you begin a protocol of this nature it is very common for the adage “you may get worse before you get better” to hold true.  If you start to feel sick or worsening of your current symptoms, decrease the dosage to your level of tolerance and then slowly work back to the originial dose.  This is just another example of why you should have someone working with you on your path to health and wellness.

Be Well!

Dr. Skip

Our best defense for our health this day-and-age is a healthy immune system.

* Dietary supplements are required by law to list the following disclaimer: This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Click here and lease be sure to read the entire disclaimer page.

Stressed? Then we need to seriously consider your adrenal glands. TAKE THE SELF TEST ASSESSMENT BELOW!!!

The adrenal glands are located just on top of your kidneys. They are an integral part of your endocrine system. They are responsible for your “flight or fight” response, and your ability to deal and cope with the stresses of life (this includes both internal and external factors).  This can include work, family, and relationships, as well as internal factors such as anxiety, insomnia, etc.

The adrenal glands produce a wide array of hormones (these are all factors that we can very easily determine your levels with a simple saliva test) such as cortisol, epinephrine, testosterone, DHEA, which are responsible for many vital bodily functions. When your adrenal glands are working at optimal capacity,  your body is able to more effectively handle stress.

We can easily become complacent with symptoms that we just accept as normal. This can include a wide variety of issues such as headaches, fatigue, insomnia, etc. These changes that occur slowly over time, are things that we can actually be unaware of.  However, if our adrenals are working too hard or not hard enough, the entire system can be affected.

Implications of malfunctioning adrenal glands:

Poor quality of sleep (Insomnia)
Fatigue, weight gain
Hormonal imbalances (thyroid, PMS, menopause, libido)
Brain (attention/ability to focus)
Depression and anxiety
Handling stress
Issues with bones, muscles, hair and nails
Digestive System (constipation, diarrhea, IBS, food sensitivities)
Cravings for carbohydrates and sugars (breads, rice, pasta, cookies)

Stress is a major factor that will affect the adrenal glands.  Additional issues can be chronic infections and introducing toxins on a daily basis (such as using harmful cookware, drinking from plastic bottles and toxic cleaning products). There is research that claims an imbalance in your adrenal system can create a shortened life expectancy as well as premature aging.

Stress is the most common of adrenal issues. Even if you feel like you are handling stress effectively – chances are you probably aren’t.  At the core of your system, each time life throws you curve balls (this can be traffic, a difficult boss, bills, etc.) your adrenal glands are still buzzing and coping with the stressors. Magnesium supplementation is only a secondary recommendation to anyone who experiences any type of stress.

Relaxation is the key.  A great relaxation technique is to lie on the floor with your bottom all the way up against the wall, with your legs straight up on the wall. Then relax with your eyes closed for 10 minutes. Burn a candle, listen to your favorite relaxation CD and take deep breaths throughout this exercise. Do this technique (2) times per day. This is a great alternative to meditation and requires little effort.  It relieves the stress from your nervous system and aids significantly in relaxation.  Over time, this technique will undoubtedly help you sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety.  The relaxation response has been well researched and there are well documented studies that show significant improvement in health, with conditions ranging from high blood pressure to concentration. 

In over 6 years of wellness education I have seen maybe 2-3 patients that do not state that there stress levels are elevated. This is something that I cannot encourage enough. Give this exercise 6 weeks and you, and the people around you, should see significant results.

Please take the self-test assessment below to determine if your adrenals are an issue that should be addressed. Please know that this is a very common issue that can be easily corrected with a commitment to practice relaxation techniques and a nutritional/dietary intervention.  Below are some examples of physical, psychological, emotional, physiological stressors that may be helping your adrenals to become tired. If you experience 2 or more of the following in a 12 month time frame, I highly encourage you to contact me for a consultation to address your issues. 

Please do not embark on a wellness program without adequate knowledge of the issues at hand. Whether its me or someone else…please seek the advice of a health care practitioner that can assist with your health endeavours. Please see my disclaimers regarding the information/products listed in these articles and in the AskDrSkip.com store. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.