Tips for Ear Infections in Little Ones

This one is for all the parents! This time of year we see a lot of ear infections in little ones. Below are a couple at home remedies to help ease infection!  

Breastmilk
If you are nursing, a few drops of breastmilk can do wonders!  Breastmilk is loaded with antibodies to help fight illnesses and does wonders against infections and clearing fluids.  For stuffy noses or sinuses, place a few drops into the nostril while baby is lying down.  For clogged tear ducts or pink eye, put the drops into the corner of the eye (Warm breastmilk may be less of a shock to the little one).  For earaches and infections, put a few drops (warmed) into the ear to help soothe and dry up fluids.  There’s a reason they call this stuff liquid gold!

Garlic Oil
I am sure you have heard us tell you many times that garlic is a wonderful natural antibiotic and drainage supplement.  This definitely applies to earaches!  At the onset of ear pain, place 3-4 drops of warmed garlic oil into the ear.  This will help to soothe the pain and dry fluids while fending off any start of infection. Nature Sunshine makes garlic oil in a softgel cap. You can poke a hole with a needle in the softgel cap and put 3-4 drops of the garlic oil in their ear.

Silver
When in doubt, there is always Silver Shield!  Colloidal Silver is a fantastic and effective natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and so much more.  For pink eye, place a drop into the corner of the eye.  With an ear infection, drop into the ear.  With any kind of respiratory issue, stop by the office to pick up a nasal spray bottle.  You can put the silver shield into the bottle and squirt up the nose to get directly into the sinuses and lungs.

Chiropractic Care
At the onset of an ear infection, chiropractic care can do wonders! It helps the little one’s immune system to function properly as well as ensure their ear is draining properly. If it isn’t it becomes very vulnerable for an infection. So if they start complaining about their ear or in infants start tugging on their ear, get them into your local chiropractor! (Or give us a call!)

If you try these or want additional help please do not hesitate to give us a call and remember we have sick visits where we can quickly see your little ones and figure out exactly what it is they are needing!

Emotional Healing with Flower Essences

Some times in the office we will hit a plateau where no matter what nutritional approach we try, nothing seems to work.  This is when I usually know there is an emotional block that is preventing our patients from moving forward and healing.  I do not ever, ever ask people about details of what they are going through or what emotional traumas they have had in the past. I really don’t need to know details and it is not a counseling session.  That is not my place, not my job and I am not qualified to do that.  However, I can test these products called Flower Essences to help break an emotional pattern that a person may or may not know they have.

Flower Essences are made by Nature Sunshine with Bach Flowers.  Bach Flowers help to heal the connection between the body and mind and get rid of negative emotions that we dwell consciously or unconsciously. The ones we carry at the office are blends to help people work through specific emotions. There are fear, grief and anger formulas and they each come in a suppressed or vented formula. Suppressed formulas are for people who stuff emotions down, pretend like everything is okay and push through. The problem is we never fully have the emotions, but stuff them down which can actually cause a lot of stress and even sickness in the body.

The others are vented formulas. These are for people whose thoughts are on repeat. They know they need to move forward or get past something, but the events, thoughts, situations, or even people who trigger them keep playing on repeat like a hamster wheel. They become fixated or stuck. If you are on your hamster wheel and are unable to move forward, it is really hard on your body and your ‘stress’ glands aka the adrenals. The flower essences help people process, move forward and heal!

When testing these on patients (and myself too) I cannot tell you how many times people laugh or give me a big smile when I show them the description of what they tested for.

 I don't really know what patients are going through emotionally or what their suppressed emotions may be, but it is fun to test and actually see if it matches up to what they may be going through.  I have had SO many success stories with these, allowing people to make emotional breakthroughs and changes in their thought process in both kids and adults.

Flower Essences can be ordered by here or feel free to call or stop in the office if you have any questions.

Release It (Vented Grief Formula) (Stock number- 8779-1)

• May assist the body with the grieving process.
• May help in letting go of the past.
• May assist with emotional distress.

**This formula helps people not forget about the past, but allow them to process and move forward. Amazing for replaying events or situations in your head over and over and not being able to move forward.

Be Courageous (Vented Fear Formula) (Stock number 8786-0)

• May assist with courage and self-confidence.
• May help with indecisiveness, uncertainty and nervous tension.

**Great for constant worry or fear of known and unknown events or someone who constantly feels fearful and doesn’t know why.

Keep Cool (Vented Anger Formula) (Stock number- 8784-2)

• May assist the body with feelings of anger and irritability.
• May also assist with empathy and communication

**Great for those that are frustrated, irritable, or on edge; can use daily for frustration. For example- stress/being on edge at work; going home to visit family that can make people stressed or on edge, etc. Great for kids who have angry outbursts or constantly frustrated.

Find Strength (Suppressed Anger Formula) (Stock number- 8781-4)

• May assist with feelings of unworthiness.
• May help the body with emotional strength and help deal with occasional emotional stress.

**Amazing for those whose anxiety heightens in the evening and night time

Open Heart (Suppressed Grief Formula) (Stock number 8782-6)

• May assist with the ability to love.
• May help release suppressed emotion.
• May help increase empathy and compassion.

**For those who have trouble loving and trusting others or even loving themselves; they may seem cold on the outside or shut down in their emotions towards others or themselves.

Be Response-Able (Suppressed Fear Formula) (Stock number 8783-8)

• May help encourage self-responsibility.
• May help with self-defeating behavior.

**Amazing for list makers and beat themselves up for not completing their list of 100 things (I know this all too well); hard on themselves; OCD or like things done orderly or cleaned up.

Distress Remedy (Same as Rescue Remedy) (Stock number 8778-3)

• Supports emotional balance.
• May assist the body with occasional emotional distress and emotional balance.

**Great for test anxiety; known triggers for stress- for example: giving speeches; nervous to fly or go to dentist, etc.

Hit a wall between 1 & 3? This post is for you.

Do you hit a wall between 1 and 3 pm?  Many people feel like they either need a nap, something sugary or caffeine.  If you are one of those people, don't reach fall for the cravings.  There are easy natural ways to bump up your energy and help you get through that midday slump.

When you hit this wall or feel like you need sugary foods or caffeine during these hours it means your adrenal glands are tired.  Adrenal glands are considered your stress glands. They pump out hormones to keep you going day in and day out.  They fire up with both good and bad stress, so each time there is a stressor it is like asking them to run a marathon.  Then another stressor comes and they have to run again. It's just an endless cycle!

If you had to run a one marathon after another, you eventually couldn't go anymore, but our bodies are amazing and the adrenals keep working day in and out.  They get tired too, though. When the adrenals are overworked, you feel tired.  When things get really bad, severe adrenal fatigue sets in and you feel overwhelmed very easily.  Another symptom people complain of is mid to lower back pain that feels like a deep bruise or ache that never goes away.

You are not destined to feel this way forever- by supporting your adrenal glands it is amazing how much better you can feel. I see this multiple times a day and it still amazes me how much better people feel by adding in the correct support. Many patients come in lifeless and ‘down’ on their first visit and by the second visit you can see their face get brighter, have happier dispositions and just feel better in general. It takes a lot time to rebuild, but getting on the right support can make a HUGE difference.

What can you do?  
Try to avoid stress! That is what most people say, but how realistic is it?  Not very - but you can choose to minimize it.  Do not say yes to everything and everyone - you will wear yourself down. Create boundaries and make time for yourself daily, even if it just 10 minutes a day.

Eat an avocado a day - great hormones and fuel for the adrenals
If you hit a dip in the afternoon, drink hot tea with 1 tbs of coconut oil - this keeps your blood sugar levels stable and doesn't spike them which stresses the adrenal glands even more
Keep your protein intake up - make sure to get 30 grams of protein in for breakfast.  I do it through a smoothie or eat turkey, chicken sausage, etc. with eggs for breakfast. You want to have protein at each meal.
Snack on nuts and seeds
If you are craving sugar - eat some protein first and a glass of water, then wait 15 minutes before indulging.  If you have to indulge try natural sugars like honey and maple syrup in moderation.

You can also support your adrenals through great supplements that we commonly use in the office. These are just a few of the many ones we use. The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system - so we have to look at everything and not just single out the adrenals!

• Adrenal Support by Nature Sunshine
  • Great to take a bottle when big stressors come up or life throws you a curve ball
• Nervous Fatigue TCM by Nature Sunshine
  • Great for maintenance and protection of the adrenals
• Mineral Chi Tonic by Nature Sunshine
  • Minerals are fuel for adrenals and this also has other great herbs for them too.  Its is a liquid which is easy to mix or take straight (not the best tasting thing but you can do it :)
• Adrenal Desiccated by Standard Process
  • For very severe cases
• Drenamin by Standard Process
  • Whole food based supplement for the adrenals
• Min Tran by Standard Process
  • Relaxing minerals to relax the body and adrenals; Great for when the mind starts racing when you lay down to go to sleep!

Again there are SO many other supplements we use, but this is just a quick overview.  If the symptoms above sound like you, give us a call and we can help out.  You don't have to live run down or in a constant state of feeling overwhelmed. 

For order instructions on Nature Sunshine click here and for Standard Process visit the office or call 615-656-3558.

Photo Source.

Trouble losing weight? Try these tips!

A lot of people come into the practice and one of their top 5 concerns or issues typically has something to do with weight.  95% of the time a Candida issue has something to do with it as well as an underlying thyroid issue, our metabolic control center.  Once these things are taken care of, people notice significant changes in their weight and energy levels as well as mental clarity.

Below are some tips to jump start metabolism!

1) Drink a full glass of water immediately upon waking in the morning.  Set the glass of water on your nightstand and have it ready to drink right when you wake up.  This gets you hydrated right away in the morning and jump starts your metabolism.

2) Drink one glass of hot water with ½ lemon daily (or more). This revs up metabolism and gets the liver filtering out toxins that can contribute to weight gain.

3) Stop eating after 6pm.  This gives your body more time to break down food instead of trying to process it during the middle of the night when your metabolism is the slowest.  Set a time to stop eating, even if it is not 6 pm. Sticking to your rule will help keep you from wandering into the kitchen looking for snacks and mindless eating.  Most people eat late at night not because they are hungry, but out of routine!

4) Eat protein at each meal. Ideally you want 30 grams of protein at each meal. You will be amazed at how this little trick can help you feel full longer, lose weight and keep your energy up. Some simple foods to keep a protein filled diet are: almond butter, nuts/seeds, deli meat (make sure it is preservative free… aka nitrates, -ites), chicken, eggs, fish, beef, CLEAN protein powders (we have plenty at the office) and, my favorite, collagen! Collagen has 20 grams of protein per serving. Plus, it is tasteless and can dissolve in cold or warm drinks/food.

Try these easy steps and see how much it can help you!

Thyroid and It's 3 Important Minerals

The thyroid is one of the most common areas of 'weakness' I see in my office... as well as the liver and the adrenal glands.  The thyroid sits in the lower front part of your neck.  It makes hormones that influence the entire body!  It helps to control our metabolism, body temperature, hair/skin/nails, heart rate (people can get heart palpitations simply due to dysfunction in the thyroid), moods, energy levels (especially in the morning), and many other things!

Typically people with thyroid issues will present with one or more of the following things...
Inability to loose or gain weight, weak nails, brittle/dry hair, dry skin, heart palpitations, fatigue especially in the morning, brain fog, anxiety, depression, infertility, constipation or alternating constipation and diarrhea, acne, hot flashes, night sweats, high cholesterol (did you know the thyroid plays a part in managing cholesterol levels!!), menstrual issues and irregularities, as well as many other things!

I always check the thyroid function on each visit and here are couple things that can be done at home to help improve its function!

The 3 most important minerals the thyroid needs are:
1) Iodine
2) Selenium
3) Zinc

For each mineral I challenge you do the following things... 

Iodine:  Get tested in the office to see if you need iodine.  This is something that can drastically help the thyroid, but adding it when it is NOT needed can do more harm than good.  So in order to see how much you need AND IF you need it, stop by and get muscle tested!  Great foods that contain iodine are seaweed, turkey breast, and eggs.  And you may be thinking about regular table salt because it has iodine in it?!?  Well yes it does but it is fortified and NOT naturally occurring in it.  So instead make the switch to sea salt or even better Himalayan salt and get your iodine from naturally occurring sources.  For more info on salt check out
http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/. 

Selenium: Selenium is the 2nd most important mineral for the thyroid.  A way to simply get the needed amount is to eat 4 Brazil nuts a day... only 4!  So go buy a bag of Brazil nuts and make this a daily habit. 

Zinc:  Lastly Zinc is very important for thyroid function and is linked to over 100 different enzymes in the body.  Enzymes are what is needed to make the body function properly.  When enzyme counts are low people get tired and sick... so why not do a simple check to see if you have enough zinc to make all the cells in your body work better.  The test (called the Zinc taste test) can be done in my office for free, takes 10 seconds, and quickly allows us to see if you need to be supplementing with Zinc.  The first time I did the Zinc taste test I failed miserably... so that makes me more passionate about it now.  I try to make sure each patient does it and if we haven't let me know!  If you are deficient like I was there is a supplement to take for only a month or 2 which increases your levels to normal.

I hope this has been somewhat informative and helpful for all you thyroid patients out there!  Call the office if you need any help or have any questions!  And eat 4 Brazil nuts a day :)

Acid Reflux Remedy

If you or anyone you know suffers from acid reflux, keep reading!  Acid reflux actually happens because there is a deficiency in stomach acid.  Yep, that's correct; there is NOT enough stomach acid!  It may sound confusing, but when there is not enough stomach acid your body can't break down food properly, resulting in indigestion causing gas and bloating.  When the food isn't broken down properly it causes the regurgitation up into the esophagus causing what we call 'acid reflux'.  

When people have symptoms they typically take something which actually neutralizes the acid which is already low. This causes an even lower amount of stomach acid and only puts a Band-Aid on the acid reflux and does not fix the problem.

Stomach acid is there to help you digest food and kill off invaders such as bacterias and viruses and even parasites. If you or someone you know gets sick constantly, I would bet they have low stomach acid because their body's first line of defense (stomach acid) is lacking.  Obviously there are many other reasons people get sick, but that is one of the best places to start.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
There are a couple things you can do to help!  First, people who have ulcers from long term acid reflux have to treat this slowly.  You don't want to introduce more stomach acid when there is an ulcer. To test for this you can take 2 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar with a little bit of water and see if this burns in your stomach area.  If it does, then you likely have a ulcer of some sort.  If you have an ulcer, there is no need to worry because we have 2 products at the office by Standard Process that help heal the ulcers and coat the stomach to help prevent reflux.  They are called Gastrex and Okra-Pepsin.  These are not the fix to acid reflux but are a natural 'Tums' that does not deplete stomach acid like antacids do.  

If you do the Apple Cider Vinegar test and it goes okay the 2 best supplements I use are PDA by Nature Sunshine and Zypan from Standard Process.  

These include stomach acid in them to help you break down food and actually fix the real root cause of reflux, low stomach acid.  If you have questions or concerns please contact the office.

For existing patients, we use Food Enzymes a lot too. This has a little stomach acid in it as well as other great things and enzymes to help you break down foods!

Note: Apple Cider Vinegar is great for digestion and I encourage people to take it with meals as often as possible.  Just fill up a shot glass half with Apple Cider Vinegar and half with water.  You can take it with a little more water to make the taste more mild.

Also, for those who are on the Candida Clear diet/Phase 1 it says no vinegars, however Apple Cider Vinegar is an exception to the rule.  It actually helps to combat candida and is one of the very few vinegars that can be used.  It has enzymes that help tremendously with digestion and also helps to create an environment for healthy bacteria to live in your digestive tract which in turn keeps candida in check.  

FUN FACT: Anyone with gray hair is deficient in stomach acid. So start taking apple cider vinegar or use one of the supplements above so you can increase your stomach acid levels and make sure you are digesting all your food properly!

The Truth About Acne

Acne oh acne. How I personally despise you and have struggled with you over the years.  I'm sure most of you can relate to this, too!  It's something we all have struggled with at some point in our life.  Want to know why and learn about my personal journey? Keep reading!

Acne is something that results from a toxicity issue, hormonal imbalances or food allergies.  If you come see us for an appointment, we sort through and figure out which of these (or all three) are causing your breakouts. I have found little things that help topically, but topical applications NEVER EVER address the real issue which stems from an internal issue mentioned above.

First we address toxicities to get the bad stuff out of your body safely and effectively. These toxicities are usually due to heavy metals, chemicals or candida.  All of which are tested at the office. If toxins aren’t being eliminated properly (via bowel movements, urine, lymphatic system and sweat) they have to come out somewhere. And that somewhere is the skin! Doing a good cleanse is key. I like to think of them as ‘oil changes’ that you do for your body just like you would for your car. Somehow most people take care of their cars better than their own body!

Secondly hormonal imbalances... This takes time to balance out, but YES it can be done safely, naturally and effectively with herbs and whole food supplementation.  (This is what was causing my breakouts.)  Women, for example, are typically estrogen dominate for a number of reasons.  One being that people's livers are sluggish and estrogen backs up, plus all the soy and phytoestrogens in our diet.  

Women can also be progesterone deficient.  This happens for 1 of 2 reasons.  You may be progesterone deficient because you aren't making enough OR because you have so much estrogen that the ratio between estrogen and progesterone is so off balance that it appears you are low in progesterone because of the high levels of estrogen.  Moral of the story -  we have to balance out the hormones. There are herbs to help us achieve this naturally!  This is exactly what made the biggest change in me.  Men also have hormonal imbalances typically due to testosterone levels and these hormonal levels can be balanced out by natural supplementation as well!

Third is food allergies.  This is typically due to an allergy such as dairy or high levels of simple carbohydrates (sugars) and processed food.  Cleaning up the diet and even adding in a digestive aid can really make all the difference in the world.

My personal journey

I have really struggled with acne as I have gotten older.  It has been a frustrating battle.  I have done so many cleanses, cleaned out heavy metals, chemicals, candida, etc.  I felt so much better, but it only changed my skin mildly. I eat really clean and have been on digestive support and still no change.  I have done different topical ointments, toners and there was no major change.  I have also been on different hormonal regulators and female support supplements but it wasn't until I got on one that specifically helped raise my progesterone levels naturally that I found the BIGGEST change.  It was crazy how quick it kicked in.  

So I did more research, progesterone levels decrease with high amounts of stress.  This is why my acne flared up significantly with undergrad, but even more so with chiropractic school where my stress levels were through the roof. It all made sense!

I had been working on decreasing my estrogen levels by detoxes and focusing on supporting my liver, but until my progesterone levels increased my skin didn't change at all.  I have never been confident about my skin, but when I finally connected all the dots I have noticed a huge change and feel confident!

Now it isn’t perfect all the time. Right now as I type this my skin is broken out from doing a liver cleanse, but I know why- and know it will clear up when I am done. It is my body’s way of purging out toxins and I am okay with that.

NO not everyone's skin issues are like mine.  They could be due to any one of the factors above.  I have seen people's skin clear up within a week by simply getting rid of toxins.  Every single person's journey is different.

DO NOT put your children on antibiotics for acne.  This may work but for all the wrong reasons.  It kills all good and bad bacteria in their digestive environment and sets them up for so many immune issues down the road.  

My husband was on antibiotics for over a month when he was a teenager for acne.  His family didn't know what else to do like most people (and he didn't know me at the time ;).  As a long term result he had a lot of fatigue and allergies because of candida which is directly related to antibiotic use.  Every year he would get a sinus infection or 2 and get on more antibiotics.  He has done multiple candida detoxes to reestablish balance after being on so many antibiotics and his immune system is so much better and energy levels too! (PS- he hasn’t had a sinus infection in over 4 years since doing his first candida cleanse.)  

Other popular acne medications out there make it mandatory for females to take pregnancy tests while they are on the medication.  This is because if they are on it while pregnant it causes extreme birth defects in the fetus.  Pregnant or not why would you want to put that in your body?! Safe and natural is the way to go, and even better there are no side effects! 

Please do not hesitate to call the office or email if you struggle with acne or know any teenagers that do and want help. Remember you skin is an external reflection of what is going on internally.

There are natural, safe and effective ways to combat acne and we want to help you do it!

Bug Bite Remedy

Summer is here and so are the bugs!  It's hard to enjoy time outside when the bugs won't leave you alone.  Want to know how I help relieve itching from those pesky bites?

1. Put Tei Fu Essential Oil on the itchy bug bites.  This helps to quickly stop the itch!
2. Put Silver Shield Gel on the bug bites to help them heal faster!  It is antibacterial and parasitic too, so its great for any type of bug bite including spider bites. 

Both are available in the office or online through Nature Sunshine.  The Tei Fu Essential Oil stock number is (1618-7) and Silver Shield Gel stock number is (4950-1).  

Hope this helps against all those pesky bugs out there! 

Allergy Season and Supplements

Allergies.  We all have them, and we could all live without them.  With allergies still lingering around, let's talk about what causes allergies and a few supplements that I have found to work wonders on those pesky allergies.

If you suffer from allergies this means your body is not eliminating out histamines properly.  The supplements below work on the histamines (allergens), but the real reason you are suffering is that your filters are pretty clogged up (aka liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, etc).  Working on cleaning up the filters will help you minimize allergies for the long haul versus having to take allergy supplements/medications for the rest of your life. 

Yes, even people we have been working with for awhile still have to take allergy supplements but, in 95% of the them, their allergies are greatly reduced from when they first started. 

Allerplex (SP)- Great for seasonal allergies and drying up mucous.

ALJ (NS)- This is great for seasonal allergies and clearing up mucous.  Are you suffering with pressure in your ears?  Then this may be the product for you. ALJ is also more of an herbal blend than Allerplex.

Histablock (NS)- Does literally what is says, blocks the histamines.  This product is great for people with allergies, but also those who suffer with general allergies all year round due to pollen, dander, dust, etc. 

Antronex (SP)- A sinus drainage product.  If mucous is stuck and cannot come out, or if you are prone to sinus headaches this is a great product for you.  This can also help with bowel movements and sore throat due to lymph node swelling. 

Each of the products above can be started a month before allergy season at 1 per meal.  If symptoms start to get bad, adults can go up to 2 or 3 per meal.  

Standard Process (SP)- Available in our office or through a health care practitioner.

Nature Sunshine (NS)- Available in our office or you can order online by clicking here.

Conjuctivitis (pinkeye) Natural Remedy

Conjunctivitis (pinkeye) is something that is very easily treated all-naturally, no matter if you are a human, dog or cat.  There is no need to suffer or run for antibiotics or eye drops.  

One weekend, my dad was telling me that their dog's eye seemed red and infected.  Guess what I suggested?  Silver Shield! It's such an amazing universal healer with antibacterial and antiviral (also anti-parasitic) properties.  The liquid tastes like water and is safe to put in the eyes, ears and nose (as nasal spray) to administer the antiseptic properties in each of those areas.  Needless to say, my parents put a drop of Silver Shield in Mo's eye 2 to 3 times a day and within a day or two, it was gone!  No crazy treatments, just trusty Silver Shield.

Nature Sunshine's Silver Shield is patented, and one of the best colloidal silver's on the market. The next time you or your loved one (it's great for kids) gets pinkeye or some sort of eye irritation or infection, use Silver Shield.  You will not be let down!  To order click here and search "liquid silver shield!"