Question: Is raw apple cider vinegar a good thing to dilute and drink daily? I don’t know anything about cleanses and feel I should start here. Answer: Apple Cider Vinegar is a great source of trace minerals and beneficial acids that encourage digestion and remove waste acids from muscle tissue. Any “cleansing” that occurs is because of those two changes, period, which is not a bad thing, but not a big secret. Very few people actually need the kind of dramatic cleanses being marketed; if the body is functioning correctly it will cleanse itself, even of a significant backlog of matter. Our typical diets don’t offer enough nutrition, so I see far more people who need to be built up; traditio
Question: I am having problems with irrational fears and worries. My father recently passed away and I have a young son. Please help me to be all there for my son. Answer: Your adrenal glands, more than your nervous system, drive fear; in Chinese medicine the kidneys, which sit directly beneath the adrenals, are implicated. Sugar exacerbates adrenal stress. Pantothenic Acid is an adaptogen for the adrenals, and often will test for people in huge quantities. (I stopped counting one particularly challenging day when I tested for 12….) The Five-Flower formula stays in my purse, my kitchen, and my glove compartment at all times; A drop under the tongue or on the wrist is a huge help in calming
Question: In addition to some issues with my digestive system, in the past 5 months I have also been dealing with skin cancer on my forehead. I had a nodular cancer that was surgically removed 6 weeks ago. The local anesthesia and antibiotic that the doctors gave me made me sick (vomiting) and has left my stomach upset since the procedure. In addition I have another spot that was treated by freezing with liquid nitrogen in January, then we did a 4 week course of a cream called Carac, I just returned to the doctor yesterday and he said neither of those were effective, and it is still cancer. I am waiting for the biopsy results to decide whether to proceed with another surgery or with a diffe
Question: Hello! I have heard about you through [a friend] and I’m hoping you can give me a little light at the end of my tunnel! I have been pregnant 4 times, and shortly after the birth of my 3rd child I suffered from unexplained (“post partum”) anxiety, which lead me to have irritable bowel symptoms (diarrhea), and GERD. Now, 3 years later, I have tried acid reflux medicines, but they never seemed to get rid of the “stuck burp” feeling I had, and they kept the diarrhea going, so I lost weight due to the diarrhea, IBS, and anxiety. I’ve been on probiotics and digestive enzymes for almost 2 years, but I still burp frequently and now have a sore spot (seems to be on my esophagus) when I bur
I went to visit a friend with asthma a few nights ago, and just about choked when I had to close the door to her bathroom, where several just-washed garments were hanging to dry. I have not been able to walk down the laundry aisle of a supermarket for years without struggling to breathe-and I don’t have asthma. The fragrances and petroleum base of the products are profoundly irritating. I don’t understand why this isn’t a huge issue for people with breathing problems, and especially, for their doctors. We spent a week with my mother last month, who also has asthma, and she helped out by throwing a load of our clothes into the washer with her regular laundry detergent. When I got home I rew
Question: My husband does not believe in Muscle Testing. He likes the smell of essential oils. He is struggling with a lot of emotional issues. I know that a flower essence would work, however that is out. I know you don’t diagnose, but I need some help from one who has experience. I feel a good vitamin would help him as his diet isn’t the best. He tried the Super Supplemental from Nature’s Sunshine and cannot stand the taste of the pill on his tongue… and can taste it through the day. Also, are there a few oils that would be good for one who is was abused? Answer: One of the hardest aspects of working in the healing arts is that you can’t fix people. Health is a choice, and if someone “
Question: I’m in Austria and have just realized that I AM PREGNANT!! [Our friend] recommended some Brewer’s Yeast, which I found. Any other suggestions for staying healthy and strong would be great! Answer: Red raspberry would be great, in capsules or as an extract. You can order from Nature’s Sunshine in Europe through the regular website, but you may need to transfer your membership temporarily to the EU division. The Red Raspberry Blend liquid in glycerin is really pleasant to taste – you can cover the bottom of a mug and fill it with hot water for a nice tea. It’s high in iron as well as trace minerals, and has hibiscus in it to give you the bioflavanoids you need to use vitamin C. T
Another great new nut study….2.4 ounces a day of pistachios significantly reduced markers for lung cancer, and likely provides protection from other cancers as well. I mentioned earlier that nuts provided fatty acids that help balance hormones and support the liver. Actually, the brain, the thymus gland (which regulates immune response) and the liver are all fat-dependent, as are the reproductive organs. Three huge health issues in America are nervous disorders, from depression to ADD; immune disorders ranging from auto-immune issues to cancer; and hormone imbalances from PMS to infertility. We just all need to GO NUTS!
Just saw another study linking high intake of fish to low incidence of heart disease in Eskimos, who have obesity rates slightly higher than the average in the US. BUT before you load up on Omega 3 oil capsules (I do carry an Super Omega 3, but frankly, very few people muscle-test as needing it when we do a full systems evaluation instead of testing just products. That’s why I developed the Body Systems Counselor Program. I don’t think anyone should be living on pills.) At any rate, just take a couple of things into account: Fatty acids are like all other nutrients in that a deficiency or excess in one may lead to an imbalance in another. I don’t believe in megadoses of anything. More impo
A recent study in Australia reviewed Testosterone levels in men over thirty. From the TV commercials you would think that low testosterone is not only an epidemic, but the major cause of every health problem experienced by men over 40. WRONG! What they found was that while testosterone levels did drop about a percent a year starting around age 30, there was no real correlation between the testosterone level and erectile dysfunction, depression, or the myriad of other “diseases” the drug companies promise to cure with testosterone treatments. What was clearly related? Heart disease and diabetes, both of which are almost entirely preventable. Looks like men are the next targets of the same h
Imagine drinking a sensible fruit-and-protein-powder smoothie. Now stop a minute, clear your mind, and imagine you’re drinking a luscious milkshake made with premium ice cream — you know, something really rich and creamy. Which one would make you feel fuller? I know what your answer is (same as mine when I did this thought experiment). But the real (and surprising) answer is, the shake that makes you feel fuller in real life depends on what you think you’re drinking, not on what you actually are drinking. And that suggests an intriguing way that we can all use psychology to sidestep overeating. In a clever study exploring the mind’s ability to control how the body responds to food, Yale Un
Question: My mother had problems with bone fragments after teeth extraction. When they pulled her teeth, they damaged her jawbone resulting in problems with bone slivers and now suffers from TMJ and her jaw pops loudly and sometimes “locks” in place. She has had problems for years, but I am asking now because I think it would be wise to really find out what happened. Answer: This may have been the result of her taking Fosomax or any of the other medications women are being prescribed for bone density “concerns”. I had to have a tooth extracted last spring and the waiver I had to sign included a statement affirming that I had not been on any such medication for at least six months, since
Question: I started snoring very loudly about two years ago. Previously I did not snore at all. I’m 56 years old, 5’3” and have weighed 170 pounds for about 8 years (up from 150 pounds since my hysterectomy in 2003). I gained weight after my hysterectomy due to 10 years at a stressful job and not exercising as often as I had been – I used to walk 2 miles a day, 5-6 days a week. I am wearing a mouthpiece at night that I ordered on the internet from Pure Sleep. It helps, but is not real comfortable. What exercises or herbs/natural products could I use to strengthen my throat and tongue muscles? I breathe fine through my nose, but for some reason now, I seem to sleep with my mouth open. I do
Question: I have recently suffered a loss and some kind of nervous breakdown. It has since been two months and am wondering what I can do or take to regain some sort of balance to be able to continue in my daily activities. Answer: I am a huge fan of Five-Flower formula and Sudanese Rose Attar for overcoming grief from a loss of any kind. The body needs high levels of B-vitamins, of course, to deal with any stress, but I prefer to get as many as possible through plant sources as well, such as the Stress-J formula and Passion Flower, and through brown rice and unsweetened whole milk yogurt in the diet. (The fat is also essential for nervous system function.) The Chinese HS-C formula is ex
Question: I am a Body Systems Counselor and I am working with a person who has Hepatitis C as well as a low thyroid. His thyroid seems to be balancing with herbs, but I am puzzled since he tests okay with cod liver oil, and I thought fat was supposed to be bad for a stressed liver. Answer: The cod liver oil was not a surprise at all to me. The liver is a fat-dependent organ, and most Americans have too little digestible fat in their diets to maintain its proper functions. I encourage my clients with liver issues to increase their intake of whole vegetable fats and cultured whole milk dairy products (such as sour cream and yogurt) unless there is a specific inability to process those food
