Let's Talk Getting Healthy

BACK TO SCHOOL TIME ... ARE YOU READY?

Okay,maybe that is a bit premature, but it is not too early to start preparing for it.  What I am talking about is the allergies and colds that seem to accompany the beginning of classes.  Every year during the beginning of the school year, or following summer vacation, we see many children/students who seem to be overcome by allergies or who seem to catch the common cold. 

There are many reasons for this, first, the kids have spent all summer eating all kinds of sugary foods, which lowers their immune function. 

Second, the air-conditioning units in the schools, that have been off all summer are turned on, and all the dust, mold and other debris is blown into the air for our children to breathe.  I believe that the best defense is a good offense, so now's the time to help prepare our kids for this onslaught of symptoms. 

These symptoms, range from   runny noses, itchy eyes, cough, sore throat, asthma, along with extreme fatigue. Some kids even experience ADD and ADHD when introduced into this environment. Most parents just assume that their child's allergies are flaring up due to outdoor pollens. There's been lots of research done on sick school syndrome, if you would like more information on this topic, I encourage you to visit Dr. Doris Rapp's website.

So what can we do to assist our kids so that they don't have to be plagued by the symptoms?  As I mentioned, the best defense is a good offense. 

Now is the time to start doing things to stimulate their immune function such as:

SUNBURN ~ To Screen or not To Screen?

It is that time of year again, where families are out in the sun more and more.  There are more incidents of sunburn in kids and adults than ever before. 

Of the people I asked the question, " How do we get sunburned?"  the majority of them simply say "too much sun". 

What most of them don't realize is that it is the radiation from the suns rays(UVA and UVB) that create the burns.  I have been told that description sounds pretty harsh.  It is suppose to be harsh!  It is an important topic for the summer months especially. 

When you think about it as radiation burns, it drives home the point of the importance of protection, not to mention prevention.  There is a lot of controversy about the types of sunscreens to use.  Many of the commercially prepared products are full of chemicals that react in the skin and cause an increase in sensitivity and burns.

In chemical sunscreens, there are some chemicals that pose potential human health risks including benzophenone, octinoxate, octylmethoxycinnamate (OMC), and oxybenzone. These chemicals can seep into your skin, potentially altering how your body processes the sun's rays and could upset your body's normal hormone balance.

This A - Z list is just a partial list of some of the products and drugs that are suspected.(I was amazed at what was on this list, check it out)

With the incidence of skin cancer on the rise, nearly a million people per year, its time to take this more seriously.  I have to admit, I enjoy being in the sun and getting a tan.  There are some specific things I do to protect myself  from sunburn and skin cancer.  Using the right type of sunscreen is important, we will talk about that in a moment.

The sun creates a lot of free radical damage, so it is imperative to consume a lot of antioxidant rich fruits and veggies.  I also take about 6,000 mg of omega 3 oils per day which are anti inflammatory in nature.  You have to do this early enough, so that you build up your store house of these nutrients.  If you don't, they burn up too quickly in the sun.  I just returned from a weeks vacation at the lake, without too much trouble.  As the week went on, my kids and I increased the fruit and veggies intake to combat the accumulation of the suns effects.  I also take about 5000 iu of vit D3 daily to help prevent cancers.

So lets get specific on what to do if you get sunburned...

YEAST PROBLEMS ~ There is a Solution

In my last post, I discussed a major problem that I see in my office.  It affects both men and women and in many cases the person is not even aware that it is a problem.

For those of you who already know that you suffer form this condition and aren't sure what to do about it, take heart, I am about to explain it to you. As I discussed in previous posts, sugar is a big problem in our diets today.  It is the excess sugar or even the undigested sugar that turns to acid in our bodies. 

It is these acids that propagate the yeast overgrowth. Now sugar isn't the only culprit, but anything that turns to sugar or acid will also be a problem. Thats right, acid, so coffee, soda, sugar, protein, even many fruits and veggies turn to sugar in the bloodstream.  The question then comes up what to eat? I have seen many people starve themselves(which creates acid and feeds the yeast). There is a better way! 

Instead of consuming a diet that is full of acid causing foods, switch to an alkalizing diet.  More greens and green foods, there are products such as green drinks and alkalizing drops that help too.  When you take this approach, you can modify your diet, eating alkalizing foods, along with green drinks and your symptoms will not only get better but go away.  This is done by changing the acid pH to a more alkaline one.

Stress, emotions and a busy lifestyle also add to the acidity level of our body. That my friends is a topic for another post. 

This takes the phrase "going green" to a whole new perspective If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Think of the impact ~ of a Happy, Loving parent on a child; of a Happy, Loving teacher on a student.