Sneezing and Sniffles: Sign of the Approaching Season
Fall in north Texas is a welcomed time of year with the mecury shying away for the triple digits of summer. As the promise of winter creeps around the corner, the fall allergens are on the rise. Ragweed, mountain cedar and all of those other pesky allergies has everyone sneezing.
We have several natural remedies that have been very effective dealing with that over stimulated immune system. One remedy that has been a staple for several of our patients is Natural D-Hist by Orthomolecular. Here's a brief description of the ingredients any why :
Quercetin - Naturally found in onions, quercetin is a mast cell stabilizer and a powerful natural flavonoid. Quercetin has been shown to inhibit certain compounds that typically affect sinus and respiratory health.
Stinging Nettles Leaf - Studies have shown stinging nettles have demonstrated both promising mechanisms and clinical results for supporting nasal passageway health. While further study is needed, trials have shown stinging nettles demonstrated measurable differences vs. placebo after only one week.
Bromelain - A strong pineapple enzyme, bromelain has proven mucolytic properties. As such, bromelain supports normal mucousal tissue function and enhances the absorption of quercetin.
N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC) - An amino acid that is a natural mucolytic, NAC reduces the viscosity of mucus. Studies have shown individuals have been treated effectively without side effects when given NAC.
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Another Favorite Product is
Luffeel Nasal Spray
Luffeel is an all-nautral treatment ideal for addressing the symptoms of allergy season. Unlike conventional treatments which primarily suppress symptoms (antihistamines, steroidal nasal sprasy, etc.), Luffeel supports the body's natural response and works to minimize over-reactivity of the immune system that leads to allergic reactions.
Luffeel Nasal Spray combines the therapeutic effects of natural botanical substances with mineral ingredients. Luffeel has been shown to effectively relieve typical allergic symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes. Use of Luffeel has many benefits:
- Suitable for the entire family-including children and pregnant/nursing women
- No known side effects-no drowsiness
- Safe for those with cardiac or hypertension conditions
- May be used at the onset of symptoms or as a preventative before symptoms begin
- May be combined with other natural or conventional medications
- May be used for long-term treatments
Both of these products are in stock and available for shipping. Please call us we'd love to make a recommendation.
The Most Dangerous Deficiency You Might Not Know You Have
Many nutrients, such as calcium, are well recognized for the important role they play in health. But there’s one vitamin that is especially important yet often ignored in the quest for health, putting people at risk for a dangerous deficiency. Worse, this vitamin isn’t so easy to come by in our everyday diets—a scarcity that might be responsible for some of our country’s most serious health concerns.
What is this important vitamin? It’s vitamin K, but not just any form of vitamin K. One form of this vitamin is especially crucial to both bone and heart health.
There are two types of K: phylloquinone (known as vitamin K1) and menaquinone (known as vitamin K2). Leafy green vegetables are rich in the first type, which plays a critical role in your body’s clotting process. Vitamin K2, however, isn’t so easy to come by in the diet, putting many people at risk for deficiency.
K2 is essential to calcium metabolism—and without adequate levels, your body will suffer in two very different ways. On the one hand, menaquinone deficiency will cause your bones to lose vital calcium, leaving them weak and vulnerable to fractures.1-2 But this vitamin doesn’t just keep calcium in your bones—it also keeps it out of your arteries.
Without adequate levels of K2, the chemical conversion of matrix GLA protein—an important calcification inhibitor—is blocked. As a result, calcium will build up in your arteries, causing them to harden and increasing plaque formation. 3-4
Fortunately, population studies show that boosting levels of K2 can stop this deadly development—both lowering heart disease death rates and reducing arterial calcification among subjects with the highest intakes.5-7 Research has shown similar benefits when it comes to bone health, with trials showing that K2 can effectively increase hip bone density in postmenopausal women.8-10
In an even more promising turn, researchers have tested analogs of K2 for effects on liver and prostate health.11-15 Research conducted by Japanese scientists and published in a 2008 study also shows that vitamin K2 stopped the development of synovial cells, thereby preventing collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis in a rat model.
Unfortunately, the only abundant food source of K2 is the Japanese soybean dish called natto—as famous for its unpleasant smell and taste as it is for its profound health benefits (including lower rates of hip fractures and postmenopausal bone loss).16-17 A much more convenient way to obtain K2 is to take it in supplement form. Ultra K2, available from VRP, provides nourishing amounts of this vitamin that’s so crucial to cardiovascular and bone health.
If you’re currently on medications such as warfarin, you’ll want to talk with your physician before taking any type of vitamin K.
References:
1. Hirao M, Hashimoto J, Ando W, Ono T, Yoshikawa H. Response of serum carboxylated and undercarboxylated osteocalcin to alendronate monotherapy and combined therapy with vitamin K2 in postmenopausal women. J Bone Miner. Metab.2008;26(3):260-4.
2. Bügel S. Vitamin K and bone health in adult humans.Vitam Horm. 2008;78:393-416.
3. Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. J Nutr. 2004 Nov;134(11):3100-5.
4. Schurgers LJ, Teunissen KJ, Knapen MH, et al. Novel conformation-specific antibodies against matrix gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) protein: undercarboxylated matrix Gla protein as marker for vascular calcification. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Aug;25(8):1629-33.
5. Beulens JW, Bots ML, Atsma F, et al. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification. Atherosclerosis. 2008 Jul 19.
6. Wallin R, Schurgers L, Wajih N. Effects of the blood coagulation vitamin K as an inhibitor of arterial calcification. Thromb Res. 2008;122(3):411-7.
7. Saito E, Wachi H, Sato F, Sugitani H, Seyama Y. Treatment with vitamin k(2) combined with bisphosphonates synergistically inhibits calcification in cultured smooth muscle cells. J Atheroscler Thromb. 2007 Dec;14(6):317-24.
8. Ishida Y. Treatment of osteoporosis and evidence-based medicine. Vitamin k(2). Clin Calcium. 2008 Oct;18(10):1476-82.
9. Tanaka I, Oshima H. Vitamin K2 as a potential therapeutic agent for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Clin Calcium. 2007 Nov;17(11):1738-44.
10. Hara K, Akiyama Y. Vitamin K and bone quality. Clin Calcium. 2007 Nov;17(11):1678-84.
11. Mizuta T, Ozaki I. Hepatocellular carcinoma and vitamin K. Vitam Horm. 2008;78:435-42.
12. Tamori A, Habu D, Shiomi S, Kubo S, Nishiguchi S. Potential role of vitamin K(2) as a chemopreventive agent against hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Res. 2007 Sep;37 Suppl 2:S303-7.
13. Habu D, Shiomi S, Tamori A, et al. Role of vitamin K2 in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in women with viral cirrhosis of the liver. JAMA. 2004 Jul 21;292(3):358-61.
14. Mizuta T, Ozaki I, Eguchi Y, et al. The effect of menatetrenone, a vitamin K2 analog, on disease recurrence and survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after curative treatment: a pilot study. Cancer. 2006 Feb 5;106(4):867-72.
15. Nimptsch K, Rohrmann S, Linseisen. Dietary intake of vitamin K and risk of prostate cancer in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg). Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):985-92.
16. Kaneki M, Hodges SJ, Hosoi T, et al. Japanese fermented soybean food as the major determinant of the large geographic difference in circulating levels of vitamin K2: possible implications for hip-fracture risk. Nutrition. 2001 Apr;17(4):315-21.
17. Ikeda Y, Iki M, Morita A, et al. Intake of fermented soybeans, natto, is associated with reduced bone loss in postmenopausal women: Japanese Population-Based Osteoporosis (JPOS) Study. J Nutr. 2006 May;136(5):1323-8.
Armour Thyroid Update
You may already be aware that Armour Thyroid is experiencing a national shortage on all strengths. We have recently spoken to Forest Pharmaceuticals and officials have stated that a limited amount of the lower strengths will be available by the end of September 2009. This has been an ongoing problem for the last year with difficulties obtaining various strengths at various times. However, the timeline presented by Forest Pharmaceuticals may be pushed back even further. During this interim, we are capable of compounding porcine thyroid in the strengths that are need for continued therapy.
The only variance between what we are compounding and Armour is the filler and our product is encapsulated. We are here to help through this time. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call.
What's New at Creative Compounds?
One of the many things in the works is our shopping cart. We're working on it night and day. It's quite an endeavor and a little different than setting up a traditional store. If there are features or specific products you would like to have access to please email us and let us know. Then Creative Compounds will be open 24 hours a day and shipped to your front door. There is a link to our online store on the homepage or it can be accessed directly at http://shopping.creativecompounds.net.
Also in the works is an online refill request page. In the past we have been concerned about patient confidentiality. Our solution is to limit the amount of personal information that is submitted on the form. First initial of the first name, first 3 letters of the last name, day time phone number and then the 6 digit rx number. After we receive the email, we will then call to discuss refill amounts and shipping. The form is real close to going live with just a few programming wrinkles to work out. To access the refill page there is a button on the home page of our website at http://www.creativecompounds.net.
Reflexology: Where West Meets East
Zones & Meridians, The Endocrine System & Subtle Energies
Ken Orr, LMT & Reflexologist
(Fifth of a series on Reflexology: Ancient Healing Art & 21st Century Science)
(In previous articles, the focus was on a brief history of Reflexology; the feet and hands; proven health benefits; Zone Therapy and Meridians; treatments and health issues; some body systems and the human organism. Copies of articles may be obtained from the author or through the website: CreativeCompounds.net)
Over 130 years of clinical research, neurological and therapeutic studies in the West have documented the therapeutic effects and proven benefits of Reflexology treatments. The research is based on Zone Reflex Therapy which was formalized as Reflexology in the early 20th century (U.S.). Eastern studies based on meridians and subtle energies (mostly Chinese) have spanned hundreds of years (known as Chinese Energy Medicine. Each has its place in the practice and study of Reflexology. Reflexology is an ancient art and holistic healing technique – and as such, aims to treat the whole person (mind, body and spirit) with the stimulation of the natural healing processes. It activates a gentle spark in the body that can sometimes be felt by clients, much like an electrical current (nerve impulses) through the body. In Zone Therapy there are ten vertical (longitudinal), neurological and energy zones. Each zone extends from the head, ending in the toes and fingers. All muscles, glands and organs in the body lie within these zones. The reflex points located on the feet and hands reflect a mapping of the body and its systems. Using direct pressure techniques, massaging the reflex points on feet and hands can spur mental, emotional, physical health and well being throughout the whole body. It helps to unblock neural pathways (bio-physical energy channels), bringing a more uninterrupted flow of energy and natural balance.
While the nervous system is the central focus, it is the endocrine system that has strong links between body systems as we know them and the subtle energies. Subtle energies profoundly impact the healthy functions of the human body. The Western point of view embraces a more conventional approach to treatments and how Reflexology works. Neurological, bio-chemical and electro-magnetic responses (electrochemical impulses) are sparked by the therapeutic effects of Reflexology treatments. The endocrine system is the chemical system in the human body consisting of several glands. These glands (which include the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pancreas and others) secrete hormone messengers to regulate body organs and energy vitality. The endocrine system guides most body functions in concert with the nervous system. Reflex responses brought onby treatments can stimulate the lymph and circulatory systems. This promotes a clearing of energy blocks, removing toxins and breaking down crystallized deposits through the body’s elimination systems. (Refer to Endocrine System Chart.)
In Meridian Therapy all body areas, organs and glands are linked by meridian channels. These channels are energy pathways that run through the entire body. Each meridian connects to a specific body organ. The vital subtle energies that are channeling through the body are known as Chi. Chi is organized energy that originates and flows from the universal laws of nature that lay beneath the known physical world. Chi enters from the outside environment into the human body through low resistance energy points (acupuncture or reflex points). This nutritive and vibrant life force manifests itself in human emotions, body tissue, blood, organs, plant life and animals. According to Nei Ching (4,500 year old Chinese medical journal), Chi circulates along meridian channels (similar to pathways of the blood, lymph and nerve circuits in the body). It is the major life force which controls the performance and function of all major organs and body systems. (Refer to Meridian Diagram.)
Though somewhat elusive, meridian channels and Chi have been measured by modernscience in the East and West (thermal, electro-magnetic and radioactivity, among others). Meridian channels are like electrical circuits, unifying all parts of the body. In Chinese medicine, each of us is a human organism. The body is an integrated, multi-dimensional energy system. All matter, both physical and subtle,has a frequency or vibration. The etheric body (elusive and subtle energies/higher vibrations) contains meridians and Chi. It coexists and overlaps with the physical body (physical matter/body systems with lower vibrations or frequencies). The meridian system connects the etheric with the physical body. This network has relay circuits that channel Chi from the environment to nerves, blood supply and organs through portals (acupuncture or reflex points). Reflex points are highly energized areas which are sensitive to energy blocks in the meridian system and corresponding body imbalances.
So how does this relate to the marriage of East and West in Reflexology treatments? In a harmonious way, the meridian network and nervous system operate to bring a higher energetic vibration to cellular activity, body functions and the human organism. (Recently, high concentrations of adrenal hormones have been discovered in meridian fluids and reflex points.) The seven major Chakras (Crown, Third Eye, Throat, Heart, Solar Plexus, Sacral and Root) are highly energetic centers, gateways for subtle energies to enter the meridians and physical body. Each Chakra connects with a major nerve center and endocrine gland; resonates to different frequencies of higher energy; and flows like tops of spinning energy, similar to a vortex or sensors.) Three of the Chakras – Crown, Third Eye and Throat – are associated with higher awareness and intuition; the psychic/clairvoyant; insight and creativity; meditation; self-image and self-expression. Each Chakra receives and distributes Chi to the body, manifesting as different emotions, sensations and thoughts. Energetic threads, known as streams or nadis, connect the Chakras to each other, the meridians and our physical body. (Refer to both Chakra charts showing East and West viewpoints.)
The human organism exists in an ever-changing state or condition. Universal principles (macro level) in nature (Yin and Yang, for example) work in unison with humans (micro level). Reflex points (for our purposes located in the feet and hands) are like access points. As mentioned in previous articles, Chi flows through twelve pairs of meridians in cycles that mirror nature. Six pass through the feet (Liver + Gallbladder, Kidney + Bladder, Stomach + Spleen/Pancreas). Meridians deliver energy to the major body organs in biorhythmic patterns, like an energy clock (each organ has a rhythm/time of day for optimal function and receptivity to treatment). Acupuncture or reflex points have been monitored toidentify the location of imbalances in organs and body systems. This process has been done successfully by electrographic scans and other modern technologies, as well as foot readings by highly-skilled Reflexologists. In addition, the seven Chakras have reflex points on the feet which can be included in a Reflexology treatment plan. (Refer to charts of Foot/Chakras and Gallbladder/Liver Meridians.)
In essence, the physical body is closely connected to, highly energized by and dependent upon the ethericbody for balancing body functions and cellular activity. Subtle energies and the physical body operate and interact on different vibrational levels (think of radio and television frequencies/waves existing in the same space). Current research, which is drawn from Asian studies, strongly suggests that energy streams and meridiansprecede the early development of our body organs and systems. Within less than 24 hours of conception, it was found that intricate energy patterns appeared in pregnant animals before evidence of internal organs and other physical matter. It shows that some kind of electrical axis exists which helps guide cellular and embryo development, as well as genetic blueprints. It follows that meridians (and reflex points) are the doorway between the physical and etheric bodies. Taking a closer look at clients’ case histories and the treatment process, it shows that integrating Body Zone (West) and Meridian (East) therapies has been far more effective in treating the whole person and addressing specific health issues. It often requires an intensive and relaxing table massage session (90 minutes of more). Sessions include Reflexology (30-45+ minutes), Aromatherapy, Swedish, Deep Tissue and other therapeutic methods. At the very least, it might require an extensive 45 minute to one hour Reflexology treatment. Recent medical studies (West) have concluded that the kidneys and lungs have an important direct physiological relationship (previously unknown). In emphysema patients it was discovered that the kidneys produce a hormone to help improve the ability of the lungs to absorb oxygen. Chinese energy medicine identified a vital kidney/lung connection many years ago (Nei Ching), as both are closely linked in the meridian circuits. Further evidence that Reflexology is an ancient healing art and 21st century science where West meets East.
Ken Orr is a local LMT and Reflexologist (20+ years) who has a practice in the Dallas area. He and his wife, Diane, have a massage business, MassagingDallas. Business phone: 972-238-5145.
Email: MassagingDallas@hotmail.com . On the web: www.MassagingDallas.com. The material contained in this article is provided for information and educational purposes. It is not intended as medical advice. Licensed Massage Therapists (LMTs) do not: (1) diagnose illness, disease, or any other physical/mental disorder; (2) prescribe medical treatment or pharmaceuticals; perform spinal manipulations. LMTs and Massage Therapy are not a substitute for medical examinations or diagnosis. Consult with a physician when you may have a disease, illness or injury. All client information is held in strict confidence.
2009 © Kenneth Orr All Rights Reserved
