Blood

Health Clues from Your Liver – part 2

Liz James · June 29, 2021 ·

I’ve always thought it rather humorous that the liver is called the “liver”. A body can be kept alive for days (or even years) with an artificial heart or a “dead” brain, but if the liver were to shut down, a body would likely die within a day. We keep going because our liver helps us live! 😁

Tho it’s the largest internal organ (our skin is the biggest!) and an integral component of the digestive system, we tend to take its existence for granted…… until something goes very wrong. Just ask anyone who has advanced liver disease.
I’ve got some sad stats to share with you. An estimated 10-30% of Americans have some form of liver disease, and most are unaware of their problem. Roughly 90% of us (myself included!) have overburdened livers. #thestruggleisreal
It didn’t used to be this way for the poor liver, but decades of polluted foods and beverages, pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide exposure, medication use, the air we breathe, the water we bathe in, and all the toxin laden skincare and standard issue household products have definitely taken their toll. Babies👶 are born with a chemical burden their livers negotiate from Day One. One study found over 280 toxins☠️ in the blood of umbilical cords of an average infant at birth.

To understand clues a burdened liver leaves us, it’s important to first recognize the profound multitasking machine that it is.

In addition to being the primary detoxifier of the body, the liver also stores the worst☠️ of the worst ☠️toxic substances deep within itself. Animal livers do this too, and heaven knows, they are exposed to a myriad of toxins in commercial farming situations. Liver was a healthy organ meat for our ancestors, but not for us in the 21st century unless you are able to find a certified “clean” source (uncommon, but they are out there).

Other tasks the liver performs include:
*Vitamin and mineral storage system
*Storage and filtration of blood
*Secretion of bile (go back and review the gallbladder for more info on that task!)
*Conversion of sugars into glycogen (energy storage packets)
*Synthesis of serum proteins, albumin (which regulates blood volume), coagulation factors in the blood
*Filters and destroys bacteria
*Helps maintain a balance of sex hormones in the body
*Helps maintain a balance of many neurotransmitters

Ultimately, there are well over 500 (some researchers have said as many as 2000! ) functions the liver performs. As the inner Sherlock Holmes within you may suspect, the clue possibilities are vast!

We’ll cover some very specific clues next week, but in the meantime, imagine what might happen within the body (and mind) if an impaired or sluggish liver shows up for work. Since 90% of us have overburdened livers, shouldn’t we be showing our liver some serious love and living like we care about it daily instead of remaining indifferent or flat out abusing it?

Use your “clean” alternatives! Thieves Household Cleaner is liver friendly, as are the Savvy Minerals cosmetics, shampoo, deodorant, body wash, toothpaste, hand soap, and laundry detergent that Young Living has designed for us. #nolabelreadingnecessary
Love your liver and it will reciprocate!
xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#loveyourliver
#goodmedicineislovingyourliver

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 in Our Teeth – part 2

Liz James · April 27, 2021 ·

Our body is highly skilled at sounding alarms🚨 that we often “hit the snooze button” on, ignore out of ignorance, or simply disregard. I was “that person” many years ago when I went through about 18 months of tooth emergencies.😭 I didn’t have a single cavity until I was in college, and always had pretty stellar dental visits. However, when I was in my mid 30’s, something strange started happening. On 3 different occasions, a piece of tooth would literally fall off of a molar while I was driving to work in the morning. 😳 Though I had no evidence of wear on my teeth, my dentist finally determined that I must be gritting my teeth so hard while I slept that I was literally breaking my teeth. Once we figured out the root cause and I found better ways to manage my stress , I quit breaking teeth, stopped having headaches every morning upon waking up, had fewer neck, elbow, and wrist problems, and generally felt better and happier as a human! My body was giving me so many clues, and I was ignoring all of them (or “patching them”) until my body literally started falling apart. It was an expensive but valuable lesson!

* Worn down or regular breaking of teeth are often signs of stress. Internalized chronic stress has the same effect on the body as smoking 5 cigarettes a day, and who wants to abuse their body like that?? Not sure if you are grinding or clenching your teeth? Sometimes the flatness on the teeth can be felt with the tongue or seen in the mirror, or your dentist may have made a comment to you. A chronically stressed body may also see a higher incidence of canker sores or fever blisters…. all are clues that shouldn’t be ignored.

* Chronic stress will cause consistently higher levels of cortisol in the body, eventually wreaking some major havoc. Manage stress properly by incorporating mindset management skills, prayer/meditation, exercise, diet and proper amounts of sleep. Consider supporting healthy cortisol levels with Young Living’s Cortistop. If clenching, gritting or grinding is your nighttime gig, you may also want to consider a mouth nightguard to help mediate damage, and apply Peace & Calming, RutaVala, or Tranquil essential oil blends on the base of the big toes at night.

* Thin enamel or cracking/crumbling teeth are often clues of acid reflux. (We will go over acid reflux clues in greater detail soon.) Several medications may also affect the integrity of teeth. Asthma medications (inhaled), chewable aspirin, birth control pills, immunosuppressive agents, chemotherapy agents, and any of the 400+ meds that cause dry mouth ( revisit that section for more details) are among the bigger culprits. If you find yourself in a situation where any of these medications are deemed necessary, make sure you are rinsing your mouth out often with Thieves Mouthwash to create an inhospitable environment for bad bacteria that may want to set up camp and create further damage.

* Chronically sensitive or swollen gums may be a sign of an underlying Vitamin C deficiency (approximately 13% of the US population), an early sign of heart disease, diabetes, or (less commonly) a blood disorder. It can also simply be a sign of poor oral hygiene! Medications that may cause bleeding gums include blood thinners, aspirin, and regular use of ibuprofen or other NSAIDS.

* Gum overgrowth (hyperplasia) is more pronounced than simply swollen gums. While often a symptom of poor oral hygiene, it most frequently results from the use of certain medications: anti seizure meds, immunosuppressants, or calcium channel blockers (a class of blood pressure medications). There are physiological disorders that may cause hyperplasia too. Diabetes or Crohn’s disease are two of the more common ones.

* Pretty much everyone brushes their teeth in front of a mirror, which is an opportune time to make a quick daily evaluation of teeth, gums, mouth & tongue. Once you get into the habit of doing this, you will notice small changes pretty quickly, and you can often correct a situation without professional intervention!
Next week, I’ll discuss specific tooth health as a predictor for potential health concerns! It’s fascinating and such a helpful tool in knowing how to care for yourself preemptively.
xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#healthcluesyoucansinkyourteethinto
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL

No Jab For Me

Liz James · April 27, 2021 ·

Thanks to my friend Phyllis! Her functional medicine doctor gave her this website. The application of knowledge is power and it just might change the course of your life.

no jab for me

Health Clues in Your Teeth – Part 1

Liz James · April 21, 2021 ·

I find teeth mysteriously fascinating, but it used to not be that way. Teeth (and toes) used to activate my gag reflex before I began learning about their wealth of clues. Now I find them to be wonderful guides and tools! 😍

This particular clue is so very important that it’s the only one we are going to discuss today. Any time you have something that changes in or on your body, it should become an instant signal that something has shifted metabolically or physiologically, and the best course of action is to “root out” the cause before bigger symptoms take place.

Perhaps you’ve been to the dentist and the hygienist has remarked that you have more plaque than normal on your teeth, or you’ve looked in the mirror and noticed this yourself. Hopefully this is not the case because you have loved on your oral cavity with Thieves toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss! Sometimes tho, even the best of oral care products doesn’t stop plaque build up. If that has happened, it’s time to start digging for the root cause!

*But first, A little history about teeth and nutrition! Before there was refrigeration or even toothpaste, there were remote people groups worldwide who had solidly amazing teeth and mouths. This is well documented in the works of a dentist from the early 1900’s named Dr. Weston A Price. Dr. Price worked tirelessly to prove that oral decay and degeneration was due more to nutritional deficiencies than to lack of oral hygiene. His work revealed that fat soluble vitamins A and D and a probiotic rich diet were key contributors to healthy mouths, more so than daily brushing. An interesting unifying factor amongst all the people groups he studied was that all had some form of probiotic rich daily food source…. Something that the standard American diet falls woefully short in today.

*What does diet have to do with plaque on the teeth and why is it a clue? Here is where the clue becomes quite important! A diet rich in properly fermented foods (think traditional kefir, sauerkraut, miso, yogurt, cod liver oil, kimchi, kombucha etc) is a valuable tool for supporting a healthy gut. If the gut is loaded with healthy bacteria, the body is able to create other vitamins which are necessary for healthy living. For the course of THIS discussion, that would be Vitamin K2. #life9probioticforthewin

Vitamin K2 (aka menaquinone-7 , or activator X) is an underappreciated nutrient, in that it is vital for building strong bones and teeth. It does this by carrying calcium out of soft tissue (think brain and vascular system) and carrying it IN TO bones and teeth.
Stick with me ya’ll😍….. We are getting to the super important part!

K2 activates something called osteocalcin and matrix-Gla protein. Matrix-Gla is present in saliva and its activity arrests the dental plaque calcification process….. It is also present in the blood, and when activated by vitamin K2, helps to remove plaque in arteries! Isn’t it interesting how matrix-Gla prevents both plaque on teeth AND plaque in arteries??

*If plaque continues to build up on teeth despite your best efforts in oral care, it may indicate a deficiency of vitamin K2, which may be putting your vascular system at risk.

*A 2016 study found that matrix-Gla protein inactivation ( as the result of inadequate K2) led to a higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.
*Now to be clear, plaque on teeth may happen as a result of poor oral care or a few other reasons too, but if you’ve never had plaque issues before, and now you do….. It may be time to dig a little deeper to protect your overall well being!

Other signs or symptoms of a Vitamin K2 deficiency may include:
*Bruising easily
*Bleeding excessively (including a heavy menstrual flow)
*Osteopenia, osteoporosis or frequent fractures
*A mouth full of cavities
*Heart disease
*Diabetes or pre-diabetes
*Autoimmune disease flare ups (there is evidence that a Vitamin K2 deficiency aggravates autoimmune diseases….. especially Rheumatoid Arthritis)
*Forgetfulness ( a Vitamin K2 deficiency is linked to Alzheimer’s Disease due to the calcium plaque build up within the brain)
*O blood type – lacks some clotting factors in blood, so K2 supplementation is helpful

If you have noticed regular buildup of calcified dental plaque…..
👉Talk to your favorite healthcare professional and consider asking for a cardiac calcium score
👉Get your vitamin D levels checked
👉There currently isn’t a K2 specific lab test to check for deficiency.
👉Consider supplementation of Vitamin K2 (recommended dietary allowance is 60-120mcg/day)
NOTE: If someone is on blood thinners, talk to a health care professional before starting Vitamin K2 as a supplement. It does affect blood coagulation, and therefore may interact with blood thinners.
And YAY you!!!….If you are currently taking Young Living’s CardioGize, Master Formula or Super Cal Plus, you’ll find that these three already contain K2 within each formulation (100mcg, 50mcg, and 30mcg respectively).

As always, I am not a doctor and cannot diagnose, treat, or offer to cure you. I can only help you be a top notch detective for your personal health and wellness.
xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#healthcluesyoucansinkyourteethinto
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL