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Health Clues from Your Small Intestine

Liz James · May 18, 2021 ·

How much attention or thought do you put into your small intestine? Rarely do we hear much about this “small” organ. “Little things” can often be overlooked and in doing so, clues can easily be missed. Truly, the small intestine isn’t so very small….. It’s a 15-20 foot long digestion and absorption machine….. Usually overshadowed by its fore and aft kinsmen, the stomach and large intestine.. 


I relate to the small intestine as a middle child myself!😜  The stomach and large intestine have their individual strengths and frailties. While the small intestine has its own set of “responsibilities”, its wellbeing is greatly affected by sister stomach and brother colon.


If you’ll recall from last week’s chat about the stomach, having low stomach acid is not a good thing and may lead to some significant issues that literally drain into the small intestine. Have you ever heard of the term SIBO? It’s an acronym for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, occurring when bacteria in the colon (large intestine) travels upwards into the small intestine where a relatively small amount of bacteria should be present on any given day thanks to stomach’s healthy acid content and cousin pancreas’s contribution of digestive enzymes! If either the stomach or colon (or both) don’t perform as they should, the small intestine will suffer.


I’ve listed common clues of SIBO on the graphic.  None of them are drop dead urgent clues, right? Annoying, irritating, and perhaps even aggravating ….. but nothing that would cause an urgent SOS trip to your favorite health professional.
In a perfect digestive family environment, a healthy small intestine is a strong contributor to overall health. It facilitates absorption of some minerals (including sulfur, calcium, copper, iron, & zinc), fat soluble vitamins A,D,E &K, B vitamins, and Vitamin C. Small intestine also facilitates absorption of sugars, proteins, cholesterol, and bile salts.  It allows these nutrients to be absorbed all the while blocking foreign substances (ie: toxic “bullies”) from also being absorbed. If the small intestine walls become inflamed and damaged, it is unable to effectively discern between friend and foe, and bad influencers make it into the family body.


SIBO, if left unattended, contributes to:
🔥IBS, Diverticulosis, Crohn’s, Celiac, poor gut motility (greater than 75% have confirmed SIBO)
🔥Fibromyalgia  (78% have confirmed SIBO)
🔥Restless Leg Syndrome
🔥Interstitial Cystitis
🔥Diabetes
🔥RA, Scleroderma, and other autoimmune disorders
🔥Skin conditions
🔥Nutritional deficiencies
🔥Neuropathies due to deficiencies


In addition to poor stomach acid production, common contributors (aka lifestyle clues!!) to SIBO include: 
🔎Stress
🔎Poor diet (review what is typically known as the “Standard American Diet” / aka “SAD” indeed!)
🔎Mechanical issues (low stomach acid included here!)
🔎Antibiotic use (especially recurrent use)
🔎Regular use of acid reducers or proton pump inhibitors (ex: Nexium, Protonix, Prilosec)
🔎Opioid use (results in gut motility issues)
🔎NSAID use (ex: Ibuprofen, Naprosyn… damage the lining of the intestine)
🔎Gastric bypass surgery
🔎Moderate (or greater) alcohol use (est 90% have confirmed SIBO)
🔎Aging (due to decreased stomach acid and enzyme production)
🔎Long term colon dysfunction ( 78% of those with IBS have confirmed SIBO)


👉👉Note that while SIBO can be age related, it’s not uncommon to find it in children👦👧👶 who have chronic constipation/ diarrhea, have received antibiotics, are formula fed, or have received medication for reflux, or whose eating habits mirror the standard American diet.


It is estimated that 20-22% of the US population has some form of SIBO, and while there are ways to identify it through functional medicine testing, perhaps it may be more economical to simply identify existing physical and lifestyle clues, and then proceed towards alleviating the problematic areas.

 
❤️Showing the small intestine some love thru a healthy diet, adequate exercise, proper amounts of sleep are an excellent start! ❤️
Additional ways to support and love on the small intestine include:
❤️Consume 30-45 grams of soluble fiber daily (Hello Young Living ❤️Balance Complete Meal Replacement Shakes!)
❤️Digestive Enzyme supplements that contain Betaine HCl (Hello YL Essentialzyme caplets!)
❤️Probiotics (Hello YL Life 9 and for kiddos….. MightyPro!)
❤️Organic bone broth
❤️Olive leaf extract (Hello YL Olive Essentials capsules!)
❤️Young Living’s Peppermint, Caraway, Oregano, and Cinnamon Vitality essential oils. If you are a science hound, do some digging in pubmed.gov for a gold mine of information. If you are not a science hound, just know that these oils are your small intestine’s friends! 


Remember that our bodies are constantly giving us clues which buys time before “big things” generally happen. I’m so thankful that the body has the resilience and capability to restore itself to good health when clues are recognized and supportive measures are implemented. SIBO is a clue itself, indicating a potential downward spiral of the entire body at some point in the future if not addressed. 
Indeed…. Seemingly small things can often be important big ones! 
xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#digestivehealthclues
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine 
#findingSIBO

#ThanksYL

True Beauty Hacks

Liz James · May 13, 2021 ·

I have been taking Longevity in a capsule for about 5 years now….. supporting healthy and structurally sound DNA (hello!…. who doesn’t want that? There’s nothing good about mutated DNA… nada… zero…. zilch) ….. and then I saw this post 👇👇 in another group..🙌🙌


It may be the continual improvement to lifestyle habits  I’ve been making over the past several years in addition to the Longevity capsules I take daily, but I can say with absolute certainty that I look younger than I did when I was in my 40’s….. I certainly FEEL healthier. (I also include 2 drops of lemongrass in my capsules)
If you aren’t already doing what this post👇👇 suggests (many of you have a bottle of Longevity that was a Young Living freebie a few months back but haven’t used it)….there’s no time like the present! (I use 3 drops twice a day, which is a little different than what is suggested)
Always learning and improving….. that’s what we do! ❤❤❤❤❤❤


***********************************************
Oh my goodness!!! Check out these photos of these women. Totally awesome….yes?!!!
Well, who doesn’t want their face to look brighter and less wrinklie?
Who has ever wanted a facelift or those shots they put in your face to smooth out the wrinkles (I shall not say the name of it).
I don’t want to look like some of the movie stars that have been stretched and stretched.  I just want less floppy, and more younger looking skin.


Here are the details…
✔️ Young Living’s C🐝D Rose Oil Beauty Boost—4-5 drops on your face and neck each night before bed.
✔️Longevity Vitality essential oil—orange, clove, thyme, and frankincense—go to PubMed to see all the goodness it can do.  Take 7-10 drops in a capsule every day in the morning or evening. 
(Side note: for those who attract mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, Longevity in your body helps to deter these pesks.)


So, the 3 products you need on hand are:
C🐝D Rose Oil Beauty Boost–91.75
Longevity Vitality essential oil–17.75
Veggie Capsules–8.25


Here’s what to do:
•Drop 4-5 drops of CBD Beauty Boost in your palm. Gently rub this all over your face, neck, and the tops of your hands.
Avoid dangerous endocrine disruptors and also enjoying the benefits of great skincare by using a clean product line like what YL has!
CBD Beauty Boost is item 32953. It comes in a 1 oz dropper bottle. This will last you a little more than a year by only using a few drops. 


According to the YL website, here are some other benefits of CBD Beauty Boost
Helps reduce the appearance of redness, fine lines, and wrinkles
Helps calm and soothe skin
Moisturizes skin
Boosts skin’s natural glow
Ideal for all skin types
Contains 0.0% THC
Meets Young Living’s Seed to Seal quality standards.
xoxo~ liz

NOT Natural Companies

Liz James · May 12, 2021 ·

Wolves in sheep’s clothing. It’s getting harder and harder to find quality healthy products. 
Young Living is proudly a purpose driven company who will not compromise their integrity for profit. 
Sadly, that can’t be said of brands I formerly trusted. Many of these were bought out years ago, and ingredients subtly changed as a result. 
Know your company. Your health depends on it.
xoxo~ liz
www.goodmedicine.info
#knowbetterdobetter
#sharingiscaring
#thanksYL

Sunscreen…Protection or poison?

Liz James · May 11, 2021 ·

Hello Sunshine! 🌞 


Have you started spending time in the sun already this spring? Before you grab your traditional bottle of ray blocker….. consider these facts: 
There are more than 6 common sunscreen ingredients that should cause you to raise a hairy eyebrow and think twice. Common ones include:
☠️ avobenzone
☠️ oxybenzone
☠️ octocrylene
☠️ ecaamsule 
☠️ homosalate
☠️ octisalate
☠️ oxtinoxate


Frequently we hear that most commercial sunscreens are banned in areas where there are coral reefs.🐙🐠🐟🐬🐡 Why is that? Certainly because these ingredients are derived from petroleum (and we all know what an oil slick does to an ocean environment!)….. but think about this, coral reefs are living breathing organisms, and toxins affect them!


News flash! So are we! 


Would you use a product known to disrupt your endocrine system, lower sperm count, increase cancer risk, or cause skin or respiratory tract irritation (think COPD, emphysema or asthma prone peeps)? 


I’m sure none of us would. Truly, it’s what you don’t know that can hurt you. 
A recent study has found that these toxic ingredients are not only pretty problematic, they are also bio-accumulative…… meaning that it’s very hard to remove them from your body once they get in there.


For example…..( in this particular study) blood concentrations of oxybenzone (just one of the dangerous 6 listed above) soared  to more than 180 times the FDA’s level of concern after a single application of sunscreen. Blood levels continued to rise to more than 500 times the FDA’s level of concern after 4 days (think vacation or pool time!) of regular use.


Now, factor in the bio-accumulative situation. 😳😱😬
It truly confounds me why these ingredients are even allowed to be on the market here in the USA. 😳… especially since the FDA is aware of this data. It’s their own information! 
Thankfully, we have YL Sunscreen. No bad stuff peeps…. only good! Rest easy. Apply liberally. Enjoy the sun! 
xoxo~ liz 

#sharingiscaring 
#thanksYL 
#YLsunscreenforsafesunprotection
#yourgonadsareasimportantasacoralreef

Health Clues from Heartburn

Liz James · May 10, 2021 ·

Down the alimentary canal we go….. Clues you can use from your head to your tush!
I’ve gone round and round in my head about how best to approach this next topic. It’s a “which came first…. the chicken 🐣or the egg situation”, so I will leave it up to you as to how you choose to run with these clues! 


As we travel down the alimentary canal, some of the roughest waters are located right beyond the oral cavity. An estimated 60-70 million people have chronic digestive disorders in the USA, with 25% of the adult population experiencing weekly symptoms of reflux. 


Here’s “the chicken”: 
 – Reflux commonly results from either a mechanical dysfunction or environmental trigger. Mechanically, it may be caused by a diagnosed hiatal hernia, pregnancy, excessive weight, eating a large meal too close to bedtime……there are others, but these are the biggies.
Biochemically, certain foods and beverages may also trigger reflux in some people. Spicy, oily, or fried foods, alcohol, and caffeine are well known irritants.
👉👉There are two other under diagnosed but VERY COMMON dysfunctions….. Hypochlorhydria: a deficiency of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and insufficient digestive enzyme production within the body. 👈👈
Causes of low stomach acid include: 
 – Stress
 – A deficiency of Zinc or B vitamins
 – Medications taken for reflux 
 – Gastric bypass surgery
 – Age – people over the age of 60-65 are most likely to have inadequate stomach acid production
Before refrigeration and the advent of the processed food industry, normal diets were rich in food that contained prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes that supplemented what was already made within the body. Sadly, the Standard American Diet (aptly acronymed ‘SAD’) contains none of these, and the “fakeness” of many foods has made the digestive process even harder to accomplish.


Digestive enzyme insufficiency has several possible causes:
 – Gallbladder removal
 – Crohn’s or Celiac 
 – Leaky gut
 – Chronic Stress
 – Inflammation (often due to toxin load)
 – Genetics
 – Aging


Certain diseases affecting the pancreas     
Low stomach acid and/or insufficient digestive enzymes can cause a cluster of clues over time….
🔎Bloating and burping
🔎Upset stomach that sometimes feels worse when you take supplements
🔎Heartburn or indigestion
🔎Diarrhea and gas
🔎Hair loss
🔎Fatigue
🔎Protein, B12, Calcium and magnesium deficiencies
🔎Neurological issues such as numbness, tingling, and vision changes
🔎An appearance of or worsening of an autoimmune disorder (lupus, allergies, asthma, skin conditions, etc)
🔎Osteoporosis


Prescription trends reflect this stat: Approximately 65 million prescriptions are written for reflux medications on an annual basis…. The most common being💊 acid reducers. 
WAIT. WHAT??!?!?  If the reflux problem is commonly related to too little acid in the stomach, why in the world are drugs like 💊Pepcid, Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix 💊prescribed so regularly? After all, they are designed to reduce acid in the stomach.  That, my friends, is the multi- billion dollar question you’ll need to ask Big Pharma about.  
I make no recommendations to quit any medication without talking to your favorite health care professional first. I’m not a doctor…. only an observant pharmacist who knows when things don’t add up. #followthemoney
And now we come to “the egg”….. the medications regularly recommended for heartburn. You see, the drugs within the acid reducing class are approved by the FDA for short term use only (generally 8 weeks or less) and yet we all probably know multiple people who have been on them for years.


What happens when the pH within the stomach continues to slowly become more alkaline? 
* A worsening of B12 deficiency which affects many parts of the body, but especially the nervous system. Prolonged deficiency increases the risk of dementia and neuropathy. 
* An increased risk of hip, wrist, and spine fractures due to accelerated osteoporosis
* A 50% greater risk of pneumonia
* An increased risk of a cardiovascular event 
* A worsening of overall digestive problems
* Increased risk of kidney disease


How can this particular  “chicken/egg” question be avoided? The biggest answer to nearly everything we talk about is always going to revolve around diet, exercise, stress management, sufficient sleep, and removal of toxins whenever possible.  It’s not always easy to incorporate enzyme and stomach acid supportive foods into today’s daily eating habits, and yet they are a valuable and needed piece of the wellness and vitality puzzle.


Thankfully,  we have some very supportive digestive enzyme supplements available to us! 🙌🙌 
Young Living’s Essentialzyme caplets also contains Betaine HCl which help support healthy stomach acid pH. 
Young Living’s Essentialzymes-4, Allerzyme, and Detoxzyme are also digestive enzyme supportive capsules, and Mightyzyme chewables are for kiddos (or adults who like them!) who might need a little extra digestive support! 


As always….. This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure….. Rather to give you the tools you need to make the best and most informed decisions you can make in regards to your own health. You are the responsible party for Y.O.U. …… no one else. 
xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#digestivehealthclues
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL

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Hey there....thanks for stopping by! This is me (Liz James)... an eclectic mixture of holistic (and organic) farmgirl meets pharmacist. It's a synergy that works well as I speak truths and dissect fact from fiction. If you're looking for healthier living options, you've come to the right place!  ​

Recent Posts

  • Don’t Just Survive May—Prepare for It
  • Mitochondrial Health: The Hidden Driver of Energy, Aging, and Disease
  • Pay the Farmer or Pay the Pharmacist: Why America Spends the Most on Healthcare but Isn’t the Healthiest 
  • Turmeric For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)? What I Learned In Pharmacist CE — And How To Spot Bias 
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