According to the National Institute for Health, ‘Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone.’ Located at the front of the neck just below the voice box, the thyroid gland releases the hormones that regulate metabolism. Hypothyroidism is essentially an inflammation of the thyroid gland and is most commonly caused by the immune system attacking the gland.

Though other causes such as birth defects, radiation treatments, surgical removal of the gland, some pharmaceutical drugs, or a virus may cause the disease. And while there is no prevention for hypothyroidism, there are therapies to help the thyroid gland function better. One of those therapies is juicing foods that support healthy thyroid function.

Some of the recommended foods for the thyroid are: alfalfa, all leafy greens such as lettuces, spinach, kale, chard, watercress, apples, apricots, carrots, grapes, kelp, radishes, parsley, rosemary, and wheatgrass. Avoid processed and refined foods and unfiltered water.

The following juices can be therapeutic for the thyroid:

• Carrot juice
• Carrot, beet, and cucumber juice
• Carrot and spinach juice
• Carrot, parsley, celery, and spinach with ¼ tsp of powdered kelp or dulce.
• Any combination of fruits and vegetables from the aforementioned recommended foods.

The serving per day for hypothyroid juice therapy is 1 pint in order to see a noticeable change in a person’s health. You can take more juice of course, but remember to get a good dose of daily fiber by adding the pulp to other foods you eat or adding chia seeds to your juice.

You can also add spices to stimulate your metabolism. These include ‘hot’ spices such as cayenne, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and allspice. Fat burning spices include onion and garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin.

If you’re concerned that you might have hypothyroidism, here is a list of some of the early symptoms:

• Heightened sensitivity to cold
• Fatigue or feeling ‘slow’
• Depression
• Constipation
• Heavier menstrual periods
• Muscle or joint pain
• Dry skin
• Brittle hair or fingernails
• Hair loss
• Unintentional weight gain

If you’re experiencing 2 or more of these symptoms, visit your health professional to see if you need to be tested for thyroid disease. Thyroid disease is fairly common in the United States due to the typical western diet. Luckily, hypothyroidism can be treated with a combination of Western medicine and more natural therapies including diet and by extension: juicing.

Add a positive nutritional impact to your juice or smoothies with chia seeds. A native seed of the Americas, chia has a light nutty taste that adds a subtle yet enticing flavor. Nutritionally dense, chia seeds can be a delicious shortcut in adding fiber, omegas, protein, potassium, and calcium, all in one tiny package. Add two tablespoons of chia to any juice or smoothie for:

Fiber

Chia seeds pack a walloping 8.25 grams of total dietary fiber per serving.  With nutritionists reminding us to eat 25 grams of fiber a day, one serving chia provides 1/3 of our total daily fiber needs.

Omega 3 and 6

The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 1200 mg over Omega-3s for optimum health. One serving of chia seeds provides over 4000 mg of Omega-3s, making the seeds one of the richest non-marine food source of this healthful oil. Chia also provides a bit of Omega 6 for a balance to the Omega 3s.

Protein

Chia contains 20% vegetarian protein with the all essential amino acids, making the seeds a complete whole food. Known as the “runner’s food,” legend has it that Indian and Aztec runners would subsist solely on chia due to it containing a compact yet superior protein source.

Potassium and Calcium

One serving of chia has six times more calcium than milk, helping you to strengthen your muscles and bones. Chia’s lavish amounts of potassium helps balance the natural salts within our body. High potassium levels also help keep those visiting or living at high altitudes healthy.

Improve Digest and Detoxification

Chia absorbs 12+ times its weight in water compared with flax seed that absorbs only about 6-8 times its weight. The insoluble fiber in chia reduces digestive transit time and attracts toxins to remove them from your system.

Weight Loss Winner

The high fiber content in chia seeds and its ability to reduce blood sugar levels makes it a win-win in weight loss. Due to its neutral flavor, color, and odor Chia integrates easily into any recipe making it an almost invisible and invincible weight loss ally. To get the best in bio availability from chia, grind them before adding to any recipe.

Nutritional Facts for Chia Seeds

Serving size: 20g (About 2 tbs):

• Calories (Kcal) = 66
• Protein (g) = 4.14
• Total Fat (g) = 6.56
• Saturated Fat (g) = 0.64
• Trans Fat (g) = 0
• Monounsaturated Fat (g) = 0.44
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g) = 5.44
• Omega-3 (ALA) (g) = 4.2
• Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid) (g) = 1.24
• Cholesterol (mg) = 0
• Carbohydrates (g) = 7.5
• Total Dietary Fibre (g) = 8.25
• Soluble (g) = 1.07
• Insoluble (g) = 7.18
• Sodium (mg) = 0.42
• Potassium (mg) = 140
• Calcium (mg) = 142.8
• Iron (mg) = 3.28
• Phosphorus (mg) = 213.4
• Magnesium (mg) = 78

More information on Chia Seeds

Psyllium has been showing up as an ingredient in high-fiber breakfast cereals. It has been claimed to be effective in reducing blood cholesterol levels in those who consume it.  “Several studies point to a cholesterol reduction attributed to a diet that includes dietary fiber such as psyllium,” says Wikipedia.  Sometimes all I have to do is read a sentence and it convinces me I have to try it in something other than what I find it in on the grocery shelf.  This one screams “Put me in a smoothie, please!”

This is about the benefit of using powdered psyllium that you can certainly find in stores or at the bulk department in your local health food store.  Metamucil?  What’s that?  I’d rather have a fresh drink made right in my own kitchen with all the benefits.  You don’t want to ever take psyllium fiber without fluid.  Follow directions on the label, or with a teaspoon of psyllium, take at least 8 oz of liquid.  More is not better here.  Putting just a little of this potent ground husk is enough to make your smoothie great and to regulate your digestive system.  Be sure to thoroughly blend your powder in your favorite blender.  If you do take psyllium capsules, read and follow the directions on the label carefully.

Psyllium is good for constipation or food cravings and ground psyllium is well-known to benefit irregularity but it can also regulate your appetite and fat absorption and that can turn your smoothies into diet food.  Studies have also shown that psyllium is effective in lowering total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.  Other studies have revealed positive benefits of psyllium to be effective in helping with Crohn’s Disease by acting as a prebiotic.  This will aid the healing of the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

The fibers in psyllium will absorb water and add bulk to stool.  In my reading I’ve found that some doctors may tell you it takes a few months for psyllium to work.  That is misleading.  If you are consistently constipated, you may need to replenish the beneficial bacteria in your belly.  This is what may take a few months.  It will take that much time to build up the healthy bacteria that use fiber as their food.  Then the healthy bacteria feed, fill up your colon and then become easier to eliminate.  Psyllium husk powder is a soluble fiber.  It will relieve constipation and diarrhea and the bloating and gas that is common in IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).   High consumption of psyllium can lower the mortality rate from colon cancer.

The bulkiness of psyllium fiber is beneficial to satisfy your appetite.  Adding psyllium husk powder to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner smoothie will fill you up and reduce your cravings.  This fiber will make for a thicker smoothie.  In an hour after drinking your smoothie, your body senses the thicker consistency and your stomach and small intestine register the changes in viscosity, literally “filling” you up.  Not only does psyllium fiber speed the movement of digested food, it will enable you to absorb less fat from your food.  This fabulous fiber also regulates two different hormones that keep you from getting hungry.

Here are a couple of warnings about psyllium: Prescription drugs should be taken one hour before or two hours after psyllium.  The reason being that the absorption and effectiveness of many drugs may be reduced.  Second, always read the label regarding the amount of liquid you should ingest with this fiber.

What’s stopping you from adding this easy ingredient to your smoothies?  Oh you need some recipes for smoothies?  Try these past health blogs. 

Enjoy the consumption and absorption and assimilation and elimination!

I am at a point in my life where I wonder…is there something else I could be doing to feel better?  It seems when I hit 40, it was harder to stay fit and healthy and another weird symptom appeared every month or so.  At 47, I am wondering about perimenopause, fatigue, my thyroid, weight gain, stiff and achy joints and even heart palpitations.  It is my intention here to share a little of what I am going through and maybe help you find some answers too. 

My menstrual cycle started changing about a year ago.  Longer, shorter, heavier, lighter….all of the above.  I knew it was perimenopause and I wasn’t concerned until I started experiencing symptoms that would affect my daily life.  Most of the symptoms were manageable.  Some symptoms, like burning tongue, were diagnosed by my dental hygenist.  Night sweats, though intense enough to have to get up and change my clothes in the middle of the night, didn’t interfere with my life.  My fatigue was enough to cause me to start taking an afternoon nap.  I work nights, so that didn’t interfere with my day either.  You’d be surprised how much a cat nap could help.  And though we’re told if you move more you won’t feel as tired, that wasn’t so for me.  I walk or practice yoga every day and I was still tired around 3 in the afternoon.  So I worked a snooze into most of my days. 

However, fatigue could also be adrenal fatigue or low level DHEA. DHEA is a natural steroid produced by the adrenals. The adrenals are small organs right above the kidneys.  We make about 25 mg of DHEA per day (men more than women), but our production dwindles as we get older.  This is what nature intended for us.  Your adrenals make cortisol and adrenaline and also balance over 50 hormones in the body.  The hormone cortisol affects other regulatory processes such as: blood pressure, blood sugar levels, your immune and inflammatory response and influencing mood, memory and thought clarity.  If your adrenals are exhausted from stress (emotional and physical), poor nutrition, and crazy dieting, they are pumping out more cortisol and can’t manufacture enough DHEA to support a healthy hormonal balance.  This will result in your exhaustion, depression and that feeling of being overwhelmed.  So, if you are under more than average stress, your body will not have enough working material for proper endocrine function.  There is some evidence that healthy DHEA levels may help with Alzheimer’s, cancer, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease and obesity. 

So that could be why my blood pressure has been so low these last couple of weeks!  OK, so I guess I’m going through all of the above stressors.  I do know that when I eat 100% raw food I feel better.  I have been traveling a lot lately, and if I am not happy where I am, for example, with people that do not support my lifestyle, I simply do not feel well.  Is taking a DHEA supplement the answer?  It could be an important factor, but include it with lifestyle changes also.  There’s a lot out there about DHEA levels and supplements.  If you are concerned about your levels, have a medical test done.  Taking a supplement alone won’t help you if your adrenals are exhausted.  Your body will produce more or less depending on nutrient support, metabolism, hormone balance, activity level and your emotional state.  Also maintain a healthy body mass index, get adequate rest, expose yourself to some sunlight, exercise, and create more “downtime” in your life. 

What else can you do to support this “aging” thing?  Ayurvedic medicine says the adrenal gland is connected to the root chakra.  The root chakra is about groundedness, our nourishment, and our physical health.  When stress enters full force, we can become less grounded.  That sure explains even more about my aches and pains.  As most of you know I recently closed my business and moved.  However, I am not living anywhere yet.  I have been traveling around visiting family and friends and still haven’t decided on where I want to live.  Yep, that would be ungrounded!  Guess I’ll start doing some yoga grounding poses today! 

Eating a gluten-free diet can relieve the strain of your adrenal glands.  Low blood sugar will put stress on your body and strain your adrenal glands too.  Time your meals so that you aren’t going long periods of time without food.  Adrenals will work harder on an empty stomach, requiring them to release more cortisol to keep you functioning normally.  Living foods will allow the body to absorb more nutrients.  You will find yourself craving sugar and caffeine if your cortisol levels are low or you are tired.  Drinks that will restore your adrenal glands are: chamomile, passionflower and valerian teas, and vegetable juices.  Alcohol, caffeine and gatorade can drain the adrenals.  Honor your body.  Try to take the time to feel if you are actually hungry or if you are eating to fill another need.  I know when I am eating and not actually tasting anything.  With my burning tongue symptom, my taste buds are a little off.  So I think my mind tells me to eat more because my mouth can’t taste anything!  It’s all about balance.  I have good days and not so good days.  I honor them both. 

I’ll talk next time about more symptoms of our changing bodies.

As always, please see your health care practitioner for symptoms that concern you.  The suggestion here are informational only.

Last time I talked about fasting.  A great way to allow the body to rest.  Our bodies use so much energy digesting food, that a one day fast a few times a month, can certainly help with healing, not to mention you could learn a lot about yourself.  What’s the difference between a fast and a cleanse?  Here’s what Wikipedia says about a cleanse…”Body cleansing or detoxification is a treatment in alternative medicine which proponents claim rid the body of accumulated harmful substances that exert a negative effect on individual health.  Critics argue that such cleansings are often unnecessary, and are based on questionable or disproved scientific claims.”  Do I think they are necessary?  Read on………

Certainly the object is to relieve the body of the stuff that accumulates over the years.  I’ve heard stories of not just waste product, but one woman said she released a crayon that she had swallowed as a child during a cleanse.  Not convinced?  Here’s more…..My parents and brother were working at a well known health retreat where detoxing with raw food, wheatgrass and green drinks, is the first step to healing.  My Dad tells a story about a woman who was diagnosed with a tumor in her uterus and before surgery; she was going to give this process a try.  One day my Dad is walking by her room and she comes running out screaming “I passed the tumor!  I passed the tumor!”  Sure enough, that’s what she actually had done.  She took the mass to her doctor for diagnosis.  Get ready for this…..not for the squeamish……The mass was a tampon that had remained in her body for probably years and the body was protecting itself from this foreign body the only way it knew how.  Hence, the tumor.  Ok, so now you may be ready to set an intention for your cleanse or fast, right?

There are many forms of cleansing.  I chose the raw food way.  It took about three months.  Eating living food for three months, I believe, totally cleaned out any leftover waste product that was in my colon.  It also cleans out the emotional “crap” in your body.  Again, the body needs the rest from digestion in order to start the healing process.  Toxins like undigested food, left in the body, will start to look for something to feed off of.  These toxins also give off waste product of their own, and cancer cells in your body will feed off this waste product.   

There are many varieties of cleansing from dietary restriction to supplements.  Herbs and supplements can speed up the process of detox.  You can also buy products that are for specific areas of the body, such as the colon, liver or kidneys.  You can use teas, drops, pills or liquid for your cleanse.  Wheatgrass juice is intended for rapid detoxification and well as general health.  It is a living food.  It will immediately go to where it is needed in the body.  When I did my wheatgrass cleanse, I expelled mucous that was the color and scent of a common household cleaner.  I have a cleaning business and was inhaling way too much of this product over a ten year span.  Cleansing can also reduce and eliminate cravings from food to tobacco.  It can help with weight loss, increase your energy and alleviate some chronic diseases. 

I’ve seen in my reading, many medical doctors saying that cleansing is totally unnecessary because the human body can maintain itself.  I certainly would’ve agreed to that a long time ago.  However, now humans smoke, drink, abuse drugs and take in more processed and genetically engineered food than ever before.  Faster is better.  The faster chickens grow…..the faster tomatoes grow….well you know the rest.

So back to can the body heal itself? Absolutely, that is what it is intended to do!  But not if we continue to abuse it.  A cleanse is the perfect way to give your body a break.  Taking out processed foods, sugars, caffeine and alcohol are just for starters.  Does that mean you can never have a drink or eat a cookie?  Of course not, everything in moderation…..harmony.  Start to wonder.  What is it that you need?  What could be building up inside of you?  Are you attached to it?  Are you ready to release and start healing today?

Today, I wish you release of the physical as well as the emotional stuff that is holding you back from total health.

As always, please consult your primary health care physician if you suffer from any serious medical condition.  These statements are for informational purposes only.

I’ll admit it….even I’m confused as to whether the sun is good for you or not.  We all agree that when the sun shines, our mood definitely changes, and we don’t even have to be out in it.  However, in most areas of the US, most people rarely are exposed to the sun.  You are working during the week and the time you spend outside for lunch, I’m sure you are covered up with clothing.  Every cell and tissue needs vitamin D.  Vitamin D regulates over 2,000 genes in your body.  No, there are no physical signs of vitamin D deficiency, however it can support heart, skin, eye, reproductive, respiratory vascular system, immune and pancreatic health.  It can also aid in hearing, sleep patterns, cell formation, muscles, proper digestion and food absorption, moods, and it can encourage calcium absorption.  So for all of that, I guess we should look into what “they” are saying about sun exposure.

Vitamin D can be obtained through natural sun exposure and the body will regulate what you receive.  There are a few foods where vitamin D can be found.  Oily fish and eggs are a couple.  Another way is through taking vitamin D3.  What I’ve read about this is, you would need to have your levels tested because you can overdose on this.  You should check with your doctor if you choose this path.  You should also check with your primary care physician if you have had any melanoma or history of skin disorders in your family.  Another way to get your vitamin D is through a tanning bed that uses UV-B rays.  Me?  I’m not a fan of those beds.  I am of the belief that just like anything else, sun exposure is ok in moderation.  I wear sun screen on my face always.  Getting older and my Italian skin is prone to aging these days.

It doesn’t take long in the sun to get your daily requirement. Most sites are saying 15 minutes.  Any time after that amount, consider yourself unprotected and at risk of eye damage, cancer, immune system problems, especially children.  They are out in the sun for long periods of time.  Check the expiration date on your sunscreen.  What about a base tan?  A base tan may cause you to stay in the sun longer, thinking you won’t burn.  I’m going back to moderate exposure.

I’m always surprised how the sun goes through clothing!  UV rays will go through cotton.  So don’t just put a t-shirt on your child.  Get them in the shade.  Here’s something I just found out…..SPF factor (sun protection factor) describes how long a product will protect your skin, not how much more UV radiation it will block.  Read the directions and reapply as directed.  Fair skin people will begin to burn in 15 minutes.  My daughter is VERY fair skinned and she has burned a couple of times.  Tanning and burning injures the skin.  The UV damage to the deep layers will build up from every tan and burn.

In closing, if you have had any skin cancer, please follow your doctor’s advice.  Even if you are in your car during the peak hours, apply sun screen.  Everything in moderation.

It’s SUMMER!  Be safe and have fun.

I’ve been hearing so much about all the shifts in the universe these last months.  Is this the time for you to shift?  What do you need to do to shift?  What are you experiencing these days?  Is there struggle?  Is there drama?  Is there something pushing you from behind?  How can you use these struggles and difficulties?

Most of you know I am closing my business that I’ve had for 20 years and moving to another state.  Big changes, right?  I’m ready; I’ve been ready and preparing for quite some time now.  A good friend of mine decided a few weeks ago to start eating healthier.  What was it that caused her shift?  She certainly has heard me talk about adding living foods and decreasing processed foods for many years.  So why now?  Why is she now reading these blogs I’ve been writing, when I’ve been writing them for over six months?  Very simply put.  It was her time.  Another friend of mine I’ve always felt was struggling with what we’ve been talking about regarding shifts.  But the struggle was with me, not just the idea of shifts. She certainly has enough skill and tools to do her work.  Today was the first day she actually opened up to what the problem was and why she didn’t exactly “hear” me.  She quickly changed the subject, but not before I “heard” what my intuition has been telling me for years.  Was this my time?  Have I been doing so much clearing of the old, to actually begin to accept the truth?

Let’s go back to my first friend.  She started drinking a lot more water, took out soda and her nightly handfuls of jelly beans completely.  She added more fruits and fresh veggies and was very conscious about what was coming up for her.  She called me after about two days of this and said, “What’s up with the sugar cravings?”  I laughed and said, “Ah, you are noticing you have sugar cravings?”  That’s a great first step.  Noticing.  In yoga we say, first acknowledge you have the feeling.  But how can you notice it if each time it comes up, you are quickly pushing it down with sugar, processed food and/or alcohol (you know the rest)?  She’s now been walking this new lifestyle for a few weeks.  Today her phone call was, “What’s up with the nausea?”  Yep, something else to notice.  Toxins build up in the body.  They build up from past emotional struggle and from past food that has not been “digested”.  And toxins are toxic!  The more we accumulate, the harder it is to get rid of.  It builds up and backs up.  So now, my friend, ”Are you also having some really good bowel movements?”  Oh yeah.  Now you are helping to get rid of those toxins. 

Ok, so what can I do about these things?  Nux vomica, the homeopathic alternative for nausea, comes in those little blue vials filled with little white pellets.  You usually disolve 5 pellets under your tongue, three times a day.  You can always find something for whatever you are experiencing in the Boiron aisle.  The bowel movements, I’m afraid, not as easy to ease.  It has to happen.  Stay close to a bathroom and just know that this too shall pass (pun intended)!  Length of time?  Varies for everyone, depending on how much is in there and how much of a transition you are going for.  If you have been a standard american diet (SAD) eater, then I suggest going to vegetarian food for a bit.  Adding in more and more raw and fresh fruits and veggies.  Read, read and read some more.  Find a group or person in your area that have some experience with living food and detox.  Drink, and drink some more green smoothies!  Add the high water content veggies like, cucumber and celery to your diet.  My friend didn’t go completely raw.  She did what she felt comfortable with. It was her time. 

Louise Hay has some great things to say about nausea….Fear, rejecting and idea or experience.  Your mantra?  “I am safe.  I trust the process of life to bring only good to me.”

I’ve been doing a lot of tapping.  Have you checked into that yet?  Sure, I have my bad days.  My cat got sick again, my brother lost his job this week and I could add more about my life, but the good news is….I feel great!  It’s my time.  Is this your time?

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

Men in the audience, feel free to take a walk for this blog.  I won’t be insulted.  ; )

My male cat recently came down with a urinary tract infection (UTI).  My Vet tells me it’s not so much what he’s been eating, but what he hasn’t been getting in his diet.  Where have I heard that before?  Oh right, I said that.  I have been feeding him too much of the canned, tasty variety of food.  Even though I buy organic and so-called “healthy” for him, it’s not enough.  The Vet says it’s very common for male cats to suddenly come down with this problem after having no issues at all for many years. Some of you may already know this about your cat.  I will continue with his dry food and of course I’ll supplement with wheatgrass juice. Fortunately he loves to sit still while I give him dropper full doses of the sweet, green stuff.  It’s as much about what I am taking out as what I am going to add to his diet.  Unfortunately I waited too long to realize this.  Sometimes we wait until there is a problem before we come up with a solution.

Bladder, urinary tract, yeast (candida), and mild vaginal infections such as BV or vaginitis, are very common in women.  More so than we like to admit.  “Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection of women of childbearing age”, says the CDC.  When I was first diagnosed with BV, I was confused. The doctor told me the cause was from the following: having sex with a new partner, having multiple partners and douching.  I’m pretty sure none of you know me, but you do know that I am one person who tells the truth and I am not embarrassed about any said truths, but NONE of these so-called “causes” fit me.  I kept trying to tell my GYN this and she gave me that look that said she most certainly did not believe me.  How about stress or sugar, can’t these cause this problem?  The CDC states that BV is a “condition in women where the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria.  It is sometimes accompanied by discharge, odor, pain, itching, or burning”.  Although most women live with this condition without any of the annoying symptoms, sometimes there is an outbreak and I am convinced stress can cause it.  I again found myself suffering from some annoying symptoms.  I kept saying this happened to my cat because he was feeling the stress of the household (I am in the process of closing my 20 year business and moving to a different state).  The stress was too much for both of us.  So what now?  I knew I wasn’t going back to that doctor and I certainly wasn’t going to take an antibiotic or any other allopathic treatment when I know these only increase the risk of a yeast infection. 

How to get the good bacteria back and decrease the harmful bacteria?  First I needed to find out some of the real causes of BV, and stop feeling guilty for the judgment that one doctor put upon me.  There’s so much guilt we, as women, put upon ourselves.  Time to stop.  Other causes of BV include stress, refined sugars and menopausal women, however researchers admit there is difficulty in determining exactly what causes BV.  In most cases it is the combination of germs and other factors that cause this problem.   We need to focus on rebalancing the normal vaginal flora.  The imbalance is caused by the bacterium lactobacilli, which is responsible for keeping a healthy and normal balance of microorganisms in your vagina.  E. coli can also reach the vaginal area from wiping the wrong way.  If you’ve reached menopause or are diabetic or your body resistance is low due to certain reasons (STRESS), you’d be at greater risk.  THANK YOU!  Finally some other answers!  This infection can be contracted through sexual intercourse and African-American women with single partners have a higher prevalence of this infection.  Here are some natural treatments I found.  These treatments should be started at the first sign of infection since waiting can increase your risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, endometritis, cervicitis and pregnancy complications.

1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to 1 pint of water.  Douche up to twice a day (this is the one time when douching is considered ok).

Yogurt: Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. bifidus are present in yogurt. Look “for live culture” on the label and stay away from the fruited varieties, too much sugar.  Plain yogurt can be taken orally or tampon soaked and inserted vaginally overnight.

Probiotics- Acidophillus capsules can be taken orally or inserted vaginally.  Sepia, a homeopathic treatment, helps with pressure and burning.  Tea tree oil (antimicrobial properties) suppositories, douching, soaked tampons and wiping with a solution of tea tree oil and water can help along with topical and oral applications of vitamin E.

Foods to avoid: foods that yeast organisms thrive on like cheese, soy sauce, sugar, fruits, chocolate, alcohol and refined carbohydrates.

Foods to have on hand: Cranberry juice, goldenseal, garlic (nature’s antibiotic), plain yogurt, water and apple cider vinegar.

You never know who can teach you about your body.  Stay alert.  Do your research.  There’s so much out there to learn. Ask questions and don’t let anyone allow you to not trust your intuition.  I’ve been testing my pH levels every few days.  They are in the low to normal range.  The testing gives me incentive to keep eating right and taking my supplements.  Sometimes our bodies just can’t do it all alone.

 I almost forgot about Louise Hay. She says this about female problems: Denial of the self.  Rejecting feminity.  Rejection of the feminine principle. 

How about tapping to this “choice statement” from Louise…”I rejoice in my femaleness.  I love being a woman.  I love my body.”

These suggestions should not take the place of your veterinary or medical health professional.  It is important to diagnose what type of vaginitis you have before starting any form of treatment.

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.

Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?  These problems could be short term, lasting for less than 3 weeks, or a chronic condition.  Insomnia could be due to anxiety, mental stress, nutritional deficiencies, poor sleep habits, physical disorders like sleep apnea (a breathing problem), or a reaction to medications.  A good night’s sleep consists of four or five 60-90 minute cycles, REM (rapid eye movement) and four stages of light-to-deep non-REM sleep, in order to achieve physical and mental well-being.

Here’s something I didn’t know, minimum daily requirements for sleep are genetically determined.  Your sleep pattern will stabilize in early adulthood and vary from 4 to more than 10 hours in a 24 hour period.  I am a 8-10 hour sleeper.  My daughter is a 10-12 hour sleeper.  She started that when she was a baby and continued through her teens, although college life has drastically changed that pattern!  Before I started yoga, I was experiencing levels of insomnia, waking up at night and obsessing over what was coming up the next day or analyzing what happened yesterday.  It seemed I had fallen out of my habit of being a good sleeper.  And that was exactly what happened.  I was under high emotional stress and getting up at night and going downstairs to eat something had become my new pattern.  I had to retrain my brain and body.  Yoga helped with that.  It calmed down my “monkey mind” and reminded me that I could get back in control of my sleep pattern.  I started rituals before sleep.  Going through the day and being grateful for all that happened and setting an intention to have a good night’s sleep before I closed my eyes.  Turning my clock to face away from me was another way I stopped obsessing.  I no longer looked at the clock when I woke up in the middle of the night.  So many people tell me they wake up at a certain time every night.  I ask them, “How do you know what time it is?”

I believe the best sleep is achieved between the hours of 10 and 2 am.  Avoiding caffeine, heavy meals, and strenuous exercise for 3-5 hours before bedtime can help you fall asleep.  Limit mildly stimulating factors like alcohol and nicotine.  James Balch, from his book, Prescription For Nutritional Healing, says…”Foods like cheese, chocolate, sauerkraut, bacon, ham, sausage, eggplant, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes contain tyramine, which increases the release of norepinephrine, a brain chemical stimulant, causing insomnia”. Try relaxing with a warm bath or shower, soothing music or reading.  Get up at the same time every morning, if you have to nap, limit them to one hour and go to bed one hour later.  Increasing foods that contain iron and copper may improve your sleep.  Dried beans and fruits, red meat, nuts, tofu, also may help you maintain sleep. For nervous tension that creates sleep problems, try carrot juice combined with apple, grape pear or pineapple.

Want to try a supplement?  Thinking there’s something else missing?  Try B complex, Vitamin C, or some natural alternatives like herbal teas containing chamomile, hops, passion flower, peppermint, rosemary and valerian root.  I lived on the homeopathic remedy of Nux Vomica for a long time.  And there is that one ingredient, which by now should be in your cupboard and is called the Vermont remedy, 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with honey and water.  Massage?  Pinch just above the bridge of the nose, and inch behind each earlobe, the center of the nape of the neck or massage the sole, heel, sides, ankle and the tops of your feet.  Here’s the best remedy…deep breathing!  Slow, deep breathing….full belly breathing.  Set your intentions for the night and do some slow counting backwards from 100.

And here’s Louise Hay’s take on insomnia..Fear, not trusting the process of life.  Guilt.  Your mantras for the evening?  I lovingly release the day and slip into peaceful sleep, knowing tomorrow will take care of itself.

Wishing you sweet dreams.

If your symptoms persist, please visit your doctor. The information written here should not take the place of your primary care doctor.