First thing’s first…..don’t take it out on those around you.  Premenstrual symptoms are the result of a hormone imbalance and usually precede menstruation.  Believe me, there are more imbalances and symptoms to come during perimenopause and postmenopause. If you are a woman, you know that they sometimes also last through your period and after your period.  Symptoms include moodiness, breast tenderness, bloating, fatigue, and blemishes.  It’s not easy to accept all that we, as women, have to go through.  And that’s exactly what we have to do.  This is a part of us.  Accept it, do what we can to alleviate symptoms naturally and move through the emotions.  Clearing emotion is a big key.

Gotta tell a story here….I was sitting in a lecture with Christiane Northrup, internationally known for her empowering approach to women’s health, who was speaking on menopause and all the symptoms of it.  When she started talking about the emotional stuff that goes along with it, I had to ask…..”If a woman does her emotional work during her early years with PMS, will she still have the emotional stuff when she starts menopause”?  This was at least 10 years ago, and her answer was, she didn’t know.  However, now she does have the answer.  Yes, it certainly will alleviate many of the pysical and emotional symptoms of menopause.  My advice to you?  Get your “work” done. 

Emotions.  I gotta start here.  When the emotion arises, feel it.  Resist the urge to deny, blame or project it on to someone else in your vicinity.  I hate it too when someone asks me if I PMSing.  Is that even a word?  The fact is this….you feel something.  It’s definitely more intense before your period, so deal with that.  This can be a time to do some great personal work, especially if you have someone close to you who is willing to help you.  Eckhart Tolle, in his book, The Power Of Now, says this about PMS, “When you know that the menstrual flow is approaching, before you feel the first signs….become very alert and inhabit your body as fully as possible.  When the first sign appears, you need to be alert enough to “catch it” before it takes you over.” 

Many experts believe that women should eat more foods that help balance hormones.  Foods like soy, vegetables, fruit and seeds and nuts.  A low fat, vegetarian diet may keep hormones stable, which in turn may reduce your PMS symptoms.  Also, complex carbohydrates like whole grains, have been known to boost serotonin levels, which can help your mood.  Excess estrogen causes breast tenderness and bloating.  The isoflavones found in soy-based foods bind to estrogen receptors to block the body’s own estrogen from causing these symptoms.   Cookies, chocolate and ice cream may feel good in the moment, but will only make the symptoms worse. (DARN IT)  Cut back on sugar and fat and avoid alcohol and caffeine.  Avoiding salt before your period will help reduce bloating and retaining water.  Don’t think that not drinking water will help with bloating.  The opposite is true.  Drinking plenty of water may reduce bloating.  Eat high water veggies like cucumbers and celery. Better yet, juice them!  Vitamin B and potassium can help with many PMS symptoms.  Foods that are rich in Vitamin B?  Nuts, bananas, chicken, yogurt or eggs and fruits like cantaloupe and oranges are high in potassium.  Check with your doctor if symptoms are so severe you cannot get through your day.  And last, but not least, breathe.  Try yoga and meditation.  Get a massage.  Be gentle with yourself.

My favorite resource, Louise Hay, says this about PMS:  Allowing confusion to reign.  Giving power to outside influences.  Rejection of the feminine processes.  Your mantra if you are suffering…”I now take charge of my mind and my life.  I am a powerful, dynamic woman!  Every part of my body functions perfectly.  I love me.

I’ll keep you updated on my journey with tapping and I’ll soon be starting to check my Ph levels weekly.  Be well and keep your cool.  Get out there and walk!

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

The advice recommended here should not take the place of your primary care physician.

Yesterday I was in the shoe store trying very hard to buy a new pair of hiking shoes.  My arches are low and so are my ankles.  It makes it very difficult to purchase shoes.  What I realize each time I go to the shoe store, finally, is that growing up I never felt like I “deserved” a new pair of shoes.  That’s my own self-esteem issues.  So each trip to the shoe store for me as a child was emotional, if I even went!   I kept saying, “No, Mom.  These shoes fit fine.”  NOW, I say….I deserve a pair of shoes that fit!  Why am I bringing this up?  Two reasons….I overheard a woman in the store state the following to the sales person, “I need a running shoe with more padding because it hurts my knee and foot to run now.”  What?  Your body is telling you it hurts to do what you are doing, so you’re going to buy something to mask that feeling?  What is she missing?  The second reason is self-esteem, self-worth.  What do you deserve in your life?  And how can you get it?  What feelings are you missing, hiding and masking yourself? 

Have you ever said to yourself, “It gives me a stomach ache to eat this, so I better take an antacid before I eat it.”  Why are you eating it?  What part of you is saying you don’t deserve to feel good?  Do you believe you are limited?  I’m all about feeling the feeling.  Too many times, growing up, most of us were all told at some time, to not feel that, to stop crying and just grow up, to eat this cookie so you will stop feeling sad.  How are you substituting “feeling” today?  Eating, drinking, smoking, picking your skin, sex?  Time to utilize new resources and allow the good to come to you.  You may have to feel some feelings first though. You must first love yourself.  The outer world is a reflection of the inner world. How can I help?  Below are some ideas for you to try.  If you’ve tried some of them, try something else or try again. Best of all they are all things you can do at home and without spending any money.  

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques):  Tapping (EFT) removes negative feelings and beliefs.  It combines Mind Body medicine with Acupuncture without needles, you tap on the meridian points.  And you do it on yourself!  I’ve just discovered this one.  This technique is done in response to an uncomfortable feeling.  While stating your belief or feeling, you tap on certain points. You stop at the moment, when resistance comes up, and notice the feeling and release it through tapping.  If you can’t figure something out, tap on it.  I did this yesterday when I was struggling over how to tell someone something that was uncomfortable for me.  That night, I came up with the perfect way to do it.  If you are feeling anxious, tap on it.  If you can’t find the answer, tap on it.  I’ve used it in the last two days for the following things: I wanted to eat and I wasn’t hungry, I was feeling stressed about work, an email from a friend hurt me.  Here are some sites to do your own research: http://www.emofree.com/newcomer.htm

http://www.tapping.com/

http://www.tryitoneverything.com/

Meditation and Yoga:  I can’t say enough about yoga.  To me, everything is a meditation, every opportunity can be a time for a stretch.  Brushing my teeth, driving the car, sitting and just staring out the window.  Slowing down the thoughts in your mind.  Doing only one thing at a time.  Staying in the present moment.  And when the resistance shows up, ’cause it will, stop and just breathe.  Notice what feelings come up.  Do some tapping.  Write your feelings down.  Talk to someone you trust. Yoga is meant to release imbedded thoughts, patterns, pain and feeling.  Sometimes that comes up as a physical symptom, sometimes an emotional release.  I don’t mean the fast moving yoga.  Try Hatha, Kripalu, Yin, or Restorative yoga. 

Walking in Nature (or something that brings you joy):  Are you missing time to yourself?  The more you can do something that you enjoy, the more you will attract and build on this sense of joy and well-being.  Put the intention out there that you want to feel joy. You deserve to feel good. It is everyone’s birthright.

Stopping the behavior:  When you want to understand a behavior, stop doing it.  How cool is that?  I’ve used this phrase many times.  For example; If you are using food as your escape mechanism, try a one day fast.  Just one day.  A day when you can be home or someplace safe.  Your thoughts are just thoughts.  You are deserving.  Find out what you are missing.

How about being grateful?  Are you missing that?  Take the time to acknowledge what is happening.  Sit with the feeling of gratefulness for all that you do have. Tap on the ones you are not feeling grateful for.

Here’s to your emotional and physical health.

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

These statements should not take the place of your primary care physician.

Uh….that would be the environment of your body!  What’s the difference between an acidic and an alkaline environment?  Well first and foremost, if your body is highly acidic, cancer cells can thrive.  And, it’s not just about the food that goes in that effects your body’s pH balance….it’s about everything that goes in, on, and comes out of or comes near your body.  Stress, toxins…both can make the body more acidic.  Check out the previous blog about keeping toxins out of your body.

A healthy pH is about 30% acid and 70% alkaline.  Processed and cooked foods, meat, cheese, caffeine, nicotine, white bread, and alcohol all reverse this proportion, creating a high acid state, affecting all your body’s systems and their ability to function.  Every book I’ve read has said the same thing, there isn’t a person in a diseased state that is not highly acidic.  If food is not fully digested, it will create and become waste in the blood stream, thereby increasing the acid level in the body.  Pain in the body can also be caused by acidic accumulations throughout the nervous system.

In 1931, Otto Warburg won the Noble Peace Prize for discovering that cancer thrives in an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment and is also due to a lack of oxygen at the cellular level.  This condition damages cells, resulting in low pH (acidity) at the cellular level.  This was over 75 years ago!  So in 2009, why, still, are doctors not testing the pH of their patients routinely?  Victoria Boutenko states in her book, Green For Life, that we should be teaching children about the pH index of foods and that the pH index should be printed on the label of our foods in addition to calories and nutrients.  Exactly.  Lemon, she says, is one of the most alkalizing fruits.  Doesn’t seem right, right?  Lemon equals acid.  That’s why I love green smoothies!  That’s why I put lemon in my water. That’s why I can go a whole day and drink nothing but lemon water.  Almonds?  Alkaline.  Cheese?  Acidic.

Steve Meyerowitz, in his book Wheatgrass, Nature’s Finest Medicine says, “Wheatgrass…is a potent restorer of cellular and blood alkalinity..”  Greens make the body more alkaline.  Consuming large amounts of dark leafy greens.  The only way I can see that happening for most of us is juicing the greens.  Juicing can neutralize the acidic body.  If you are eating large amounts of greens, don’t forget to chew thoroughly, making liquid in your mouth before swallowing.  Tis’ the season for fresh greens!  How about cucumber, celery and cabbage juice?  All great for balancing the pH levels, which will dramatically increase energy and well being.

What can you do to bring your body to an alkaline state?  If you want to cure yourself from any dis-ease in the body, you must get the toxins out and stop putting them in there, eliminate the emotional and mental stress(mostly unconscious), and work on the electromagnetic chaos that you are exposing yourself to.  These things will bring your body pH to an alkaline state where it is almost impossible for disease to exist.  Drinking wheatgrass and other juices will also help.

What, besides food, can make your body more alkaline?  Victoria says, receiving or giving a hug, laughing (go rent a funny movie), seeing a puppy (betcha a kitten would work too), being in nature, walking, singing (in the shower or in the car), and many others.

I think I will go out today and have my pH tested.  You can go to your doctor for this, check the local drug store, or purchase online.  I think I’ll order mine today.  I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and also in a lot of physical pain.  After writing this blog, I’m a little concerned about me!

Find out more about YOU.  Be well.

I talked a little in my last blog about how we absorb toxins through the skin, the largest organ in the body.  Anything you put on your skin, will get into your body.  A general rule would be…if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your body.  The FDA warns you of chemicals that are for external use only.  So yes, I wouldn’t eat it, but even if we put these toxins on our skin, they will enter our bloodstream.  A Swiss study concluded that five of the most common chemicals in sunscreen cause cancer.  Several other studies actually show that appropriate sun exposure may prevent skin cancer.  That’s another blog….back to how toxins can get in your body.

The nose.  What are you inhaling in your work and home environment?   Air fresheners, smoke, cleaning chemicals, mold, dust, pollens, and the fumes that come out of the carpeting.  Air fresheners only mask the odor. They are filled with deadly, poisonous chemicals.  For many years I inhaled a common cleaning chemical (I have a cleaning business).  When I started a wheatgrass routine, I expelled mucous the color and smell of this chemical!  Anything that you can smell, is going into your body.  Today we are inhaling toxins on a daily basis.  Get yourself out into nature where the only thing you inhale is the air, the smell of trees and grass.  Reducing the toxins you inhale can have a dramatic effect on your health, helping you with depression, anxiety, irritability, appetite, digestion and sleep.

The eyes.  Through the eyes, solar energy penetrates the body.  The sun is not a toxin.  Lack of sun creates deficiencies and leads to imbalance and disease.  Images entering the eyes are toxic.  Violence from all forms of the media can create bad emotions, causing the body to become acidic.  Remember, we want our bodies to be more alkaline.

The ears.  Things that you put in your ears as well as sound that enter your ears can be toxic.  Sounds are vibration and frequency.  My brother has done tests on growing wheatgrass.  Classical music had a positive effect on the growth of wheatgrass.  Certain music has been know to cause plants to wither and die.  Repetitive sound can cause stress.  Certain frequencies can enter through the ear and cause every cell to be stressed.  This in turn causing dis-ease in the body.  Toxic words from someone, can also enter your body.  Stress and the body?  We already know that’s a bad idea.  Walk in nature and listen to all the sounds.  How about chirping birds and insects, running water and the sound of the wind for stress relief?

Okay, so toxins are out there.  And not just in the air or at the local nuclear power plant.  Consider not only the carbs, calories and fats that are in your food, but the chemicals in processed foods that also enter your bloodstream and organs.  Address the toxins in your life today.  What are you eating? What are you breathing?  What and who are you listening to?   

Unnatural electromagnetic energy is attacking our bodies every day.  Satellites, radar, cell phones, cell phone towers, high tension power lines, electric wiring, computers, microwave ovens and even people emit electromagnetic energy.  Negatively charged ions have a positive effect on the body.  These life-enhancing ions are in the running water of the stream, waterfalls or the ocean.  Wind blowing through the trees also emit these ions.

What are you going to do today to feel good?  Go outside and find some fresh air.  Breathe deeply.  Eliminate the amount of television, computer, and microwave use as much as you can.  Speak positively.  Meditate.  Eat slowly.  Love life.

Everyone is reading their food labels and that’s great!  But are you looking at the label of your make-up, your hand and body lotion, your toothpaste?  Let’s look at a few ingredients in many popular health and beauty products.  This is just a small example of what is in some products.  Just to give you an idea.  Start researching what you put on your body.  These products are absorbed into the skin and some of them, when high levels are reached in the body, can be very toxic.

A product can be considered toxic when it is absorbed into the body thereby having a harmful or altering affect on the body.  Certain cosmetic ingredients in hand and body lotion can actualy make your skin more dry, causing you to need more lotion.  Convenient, right?  You’ll have to buy more product!  Preservatives are substances that cosmetic manufacturers use to extend the shelf life of their products.  Do preservatives protect the consumer?  No, the only thing they do is allow products to sit on the shelf in warehouses, protecting the manufacturer. 

Here are a few common ingredients to look for in your cabinet, some good, some not so good:

Acetone: Commonly used in nail polish, this product is toxic. Look for Acetone-free polish remover. 

Alcohol:  There are both natural and synthetic alcohols.  Synthetic alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol is a petroleum (carcinegenic) product.  Alcohol can disolve fat in your skin and can be drying to the skin.  Natural alcohol is better tolerated by your skin.

Aloe Vera:  Extract from the aloe vera plant can be used to soothe and moisturize hair and skin and it aids in healing.  Cut spiky leaves from the plant and open to reveal the gooey substance.

BHA and BHT:  Preservatives commonly used in food products and cosmetic ingredients.  These are synthetic antioxidants (Natural ones are Vitamin E, cysteine and selenium).  BHT and BHA, used in cosmetics, are toxic and cause allergic reactions.  BHA and BHT in your food, added as a preservative, can deplete brain cells in growing children.   This is a VERY common preservative.  Take a look in your cabinet right now.   Almost all breakfast cereals contain these two ingredients.

Benzophenone:  Chemical listed from 1-12.  This is used to prevent cosmetic color from fading and is toxic.

Calamine:  Used as a soothing lotion and is Non-toxic.

Calendula:  Used in cosmetics and creams for its soothing effect on skin and is Non-toxic.

D & C Colors:  Term used by the FDA referring to “Drug” and “Cosmetic”.  All of these colors are toxic because most contain synthetic coal tar substances.  These colors are often used in food, candy, and health and beauty aids. 

EDTA (Ethylenedinitrilo):  A synthetic chemical used to soften water. This is toxic and can cause skin irritations and allergic reactions.

Glycerine:  A natural emollient derived from vegetable oil.  Non-toxic.  Glycerine soap is all that I use I my body.  This winter I rarely had dry skin.

Hydrolized Protein:  A code word for MSG. It is a neuro-toxin and causes headaches.  Found in food and cosmetics.  Another common additive.  It supposedly makes food taste better, not to mention the negative effect of nausea and headaches. Have you tried raw food?  Now that’s some good tasting food.

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate:  A gum used as thickener, suspension agent, or for coloring.  Contains aluminum, known to build up in the body to toxic levels and silicon, which can be harmful to the respiratory track. 

Methyl Paraben:  Widely used even though it is known to be toxic. Can cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. It is a toxic synthetic chemical.

Polysorbates (20, 40, 61, 65, 80, 85):  Used in cosmetics to help dissolve natural oils.  Can be extremely drying to the scalp. 

Propyl Gallate and Propyl Paraben:  Causes skin irritation and allergic reactions.  Toxic.

PVP:  Petroleum derived.  Particles can contribute to foreign bodies in the lungs to people sensitive to it.  I stopped using any petroleum product a long time ago.  Petroleum distillates may cause cancer, are harmful and may cause lung damage if swallowed.  Granted, I’m not going to swallow it, but what do you think is happening when you apply it to your lips or body?  It’s being absorbed through your skin, the largest organ of the body.

Stearic Acid:  Used in creams.  Can cause allergic reactions.

Triethanolamine and Diethanolamine (TEA and DEA):  Used in cosmetics.  Cause allergic reactions, dryness of skin and hair, and can be toxic when absorbed into the body over a period of time. 

Toxic is toxic.  Low or high, I’d rather stay away from all toxic products that go in my body and on my body.  There are many natural alternatives to all the products you use, from hand soap to shampoo.   Most large grocery stores now have a “natural food” section if there is not a health food store in your area.  Take an interest in your health.  Read the label.  Not just your food, but the health and beauty products that you use every day.  Throw away old make-up containers that are three months or older.  And check out your sun screen. It will have an expiration date.  Here’s a great website for you to take a look at:  http://www.natural-skincare-authority.com/index.html

Wishing you healthy and glowing skin!

The chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in products like food, water and milk container linings, including baby bottles, water pipes, and even dental sealants. Tests have concluded the finding of toxic levels of this chemical in “microwave safe” packaged containers also.  This chemical, since 1936, has been known to mimic estrogens, and also disrupt the effects of estrogen in the developing brain at low doses.  BPA is also implicated in disease and developmental problems, including an increase in breast cancer cell growth and also an increase of some prostate cancers.  Recent studies have linked BPA to heart disease and diabetes.

Dr. Belcher, an associate professor in the pharmacology and cell biophysics department at UC College of Medicine, explains that “BPA molecules are linked into polymers used to create polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins that are widely used in many products”.   Scientists have known for years that BPA molecules are unstable and they can leak into foods or beverages that come in contact with the plastic, especially when used for extended periods or used in high temperatures, like a microwave.  When these plastics and resins are exposed to high heat or hot liquids, BPA leaches out 55 times faster than under normal circumstances.  How much do you use your plastic containers, plates and bottles in the microwave?  Want to think twice about that?  Children were shown to have higher levels than adults. If you are pregnant or nursing, you should especially avoid BPA leakage.  How about using glass containers to reheat and glass to store your food, and heating the baby bottle on the stove top instead?  BPA can also leak when hot foods are stored in plastic containers or when plastics are put in the dishwasher or cleaned with harsh chemicals.  Take a look at your plastic containers.  Are they scratched and worn out?  Do you leave liquids sitting in your plastic bottles throughout the day?  It’s time to throw out the old and start using something different.

In February, 2008, the FDA saw no reason to ban or restrict the use of BPA.  In March of this year, U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation to ban the chemical BPA in all food and beverage containers.  Last week, six baby bottle manufacturers announced they would stop using BPA in their baby bottles.  The gas and chemical company, Sunoco, told its investors that it will now be refusing to sell BPA to companies for use in containers for children younger than 3.

What can you do right now?  Watch what you put in the microwave.  Use glass baby bottles and dishes.  Throw out your old plastic cups and dishes, store leftovers in glass containers and use glass instead of plastic in the microwave if you absolutely have to use it.  I use glass mason jars for my drinks and I rarely use the microwave.  I still haven’t gotten rid of it, but it’s on its way out.  Plastic wrap?  Never use in the microwave.  Bottles and containers with the recycling No. 7 on the bottom, may contain BPA.   Many companies are now advertising BPA Free items. 

Be proactive about your health.  I wish you good health!

If you are a teeth clincher or a grinder, listen up.  If you don’t have some sort of jaw problem like TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome)yet, great.  Hopefully some of these ideas will stop you from wearing away tooth enamel, increasing your teeth’s sensitivity, causing loose teeth, morning headaches, sore jaw muscles and painful chewing.  My experience? I’ve had it all.  When I was in my teens, my jaw started popping and clicking.  Eventually I was evaluated by a dentist and I started wearing a night guard. I’m sure it protected my teeth, but it also made me clench harder.  Eliminating or avoiding stress? Impossible, stress is a part of our life.  Managing stress?  Absolutely possible.

The jaw muscles are very strong.  Hard to tell whether you have tight facial muscles until you start massaging your face.  I’m going to start there.  Even if you don’t clench or grind, these massage techniques are easy to do while sitting watching TV or at your desk.  Grab under your bottom lip with your thumb and the side of your forefinger, starting at one side and moving to the other.  Pinch gently and pull out until you feel a little sensation.  Hold for a count of five and release.  Do this 3-5 times.  Also pull on your ear.  Grab the back of your ear with your thumb and the front of your ear with your forefinger.  Pull away from the head.  Walk your fingers up and down your ear.   There’s also eye yoga!  Move the eyes up, to the side, down and to the other side.  Rolling the eyes and moving them around the face of a clock. Notice any tension in the eye socket.  During the day, shrug your shoulders up and down, drop the head to both sides and twist the neck, turning the head to the right and left.  Most of us have overstressed muscles especially on the right side of the face.  Notice if you only chew on the right side.  Does chewing on the left make your jaw sore?  It could just be under developed muscles on the left. 

What to do while you sleep?  Sleeping on your back avoids pressure to the neck and face.  Use a thin pillow, keeping the head in line with your back.  Before you fall asleep, take some deep breaths and on the exhale, release your head into the pillow. Try this a few times until you actually feel the sensation of sinking into the pillow.  Lips together and teeth parted, allow your tongue to rest gently in the mouth.  Set your intentions to sleep peacefully and not clench or grind your teeth.  If there is someone by your side, ask them to make you aware of any grinding that you do at night.  I had to retrain myself.  I never sleep on my stomach anymore.  I mostly sleep on my back.  If I do sleep on my side, I sleep on both sides equally during the night, using a pillow that won’t lift my head higher than my top shoulder.  Again, while I was suffering a lot of grinding, I set intentions for my new sleep habits.  

Try also cutting back on caffeine and refined sugars and white flour products.  Many doctors believe grinding is a nutritional problem.  B-complex and vitamin C supplements with zinc also, may help reduce stress reactions.  Also linked to tooth grinding, a deficiency of calcium, which is effective for treating involuntary movement of muscles, and pantothenic acid, important for proper motor coordination.  You can check doses of these supplements in the book, Prescription For Nutritional Healing, by James Balch, M.D.

What does Louise Hay say about the jaw? And I’m listening to this one.  Anger. Resentment.  Desire for revenge.  Your mantra….I am willing to change the patterns in me that created this condition.  I love and approve of myself.  I am safe.  

Relax, breathe, surrender…….

If jaw pain last longer than a few weeks, consult your doctor.