For those of you who like to dive a little deeper, this article is for youđ.
The application of knowledge is power. Don’t let what you learn go to waste!
xoxo~ liz
Digestive System
Health Clues from Your Feet -part 2
Before we move on to foot clues you feel internally, I wanted to touch briefly on the toenails. If youâve been hanging with me this long, you may remember we spent quite some time on fingernail clues. Fingernails and toenails share many traits, and you may want to go back and revisit those posts for expanded details on your distal digits. Very briefly, these are some of the âbiggiesâ for the toes:
*Clubbed toenails – often a sign of lung, heart, liver, or digestive disorders. Poorly oxygenated blood is usually the causative agent for curved nails.Â
*Yellowed toenails – usually related to a fungal infection, but if most or all toenails are involved, look for other clues including swollen feet or ankles. Paired with lower extremity swelling, more toenails become involved and the nails appear to get thicker or seem to detach. These telltale tips may also involve clues related to lymphedema, lung disease, or autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis.Â
*Spoon shaped toenails – frequently a sign of iron deficiency or frequent exposure to petroleum based solvents. Know that there are âcleanâ nail polish and nail polish removers available, and using them instead of toxin laden products is one more way to support healthy liver function!Â
Chronically cold feet is a clue indicating impaired circulation. Decreased blood flow is commonly linked to smoking, heart disease, diabetes, anemia, digestive disorders, or hypothyroidism. Exercise and deep breathing techniques are two ways to improve circulation. Our bodies are designed to move, not to be still.đ
*Heel pain or pain that radiates from the heel to the arch of the foot (plantar fasciitis) is often a result of inflammation of the ligament attached to the heel bone which runs along the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is often said to be most painful in the mornings. Heel pain alone may suggest arthritis, excessive exercise, or a possible bone spur.Â
*Have you been told that you have (or had) stress fractures in your feet?. This is one of the most common injuries seen by our active duty military men and women in training, and is also fairly common in civilian life. Though contributing factors include improperly fitted boots, carrying heavy loads regularly, and intense exercise, the biggest factor is improper nutrition leading to weaker bones. Very often, stress fractures in the feet can be a clue for osteopenia / osteoporosis if bones are not given the proper nutrients to thrive.
Young Livingâs Super Cal Plus is a wonderful supportive tool for bones that need a little extra TLC! It contains Magnesium, calcium, Vit D3 and a thoroughly helpful blend of micronutrients, herbs, and essential oils. Youâll want to remember this supplement when we chat about foot and leg spasms here in just a little bit too!
*Perhaps youâve had a random but sudden and severe pain in your big toe? This is a pain that appears â âmagicallyâ (if youâve experienced it, you know what Iâm talking about!), and may leave you wondering how you broke your toe but didnât know itâŚ.. Itâs THAT painful! đłYears ago, gout was considered a rich manâs disease because of the rich diet that often precipitates a flare. Foods and beverages that may aggravate gout include alcoholic beverages, shellfish, bacon, beef, and broccoli, but the worst culprit of all is sugar in all forms, but especially high fructose corn syrup. Gout flares may also be linked to certain medications. Diuretics and certain blood pressure medications in the ACE inhibitor family, are two of the more common ones.Â
*Regular foot spasms are another wonder filled clue with several possibilities. Poor circulation, dehydration, an imbalance in potassium, magnesium, calcium, or vitamin D are all potential thieves of ease. Thyroid disorders and a sharp change in hormone levels (as is seen in pregnancy) are other potential causes. There are soooooo many medications that can cause a metabolic imbalance resulting in regular foot and leg spasms. Any medication that depletes any or all of these nutrients often leads to foot and leg spasms unless the deficiency is remediated.
Medications known to do this include:
đAcid blockers/reducers (for the stomach)
đMany common antibiotics ( the quinolone class especially)
đMany blood pressure medications
đSteroidsÂ
đBirth control pills
đCertain maintenance meds used for breast cancer
đA high sugar diet (yesâŚ. Sugar may be defined as a drug!)
*Leg spasms are often diagnosed as restless leg syndrome when in reality, itâs more often than not a simple deficiency in potassium, magnesium, calcium, or Vit D that may be easily remedied with proper supplementation. In my experience as a pharmacist, Iâve found the most common culprit to be a magnesium deficiency, especially if the spasms are in the lower legs. Remember, the body is giving massive clues and not a single clue is ever an indicator that it is âdeficientâ in a medication.
*Generalized pain, tingling, or a burning sensation of the feet affects over 20 million people in the United states, and the clue field is a vast one. This particular clue is the result of damaged nerve fibers. Damage may happen in a myriad of ways, but the most common cause is diabetes followed by alcohol abuse. Other potential causes include chronic kidney disease, chronic hypothyroidism, lyme disease, or a vitamin B12, folate, and/or B6 deficiency. The B vitamin family is critical for nerve health, and Young Livingâs Super B is a stellar opportunity to support unhappy (and perhaps malnourished) nerves.Â
Medications that rob the body of a variety of B vitamins include:
đAcid reducers and antacids
đMany blood pressure medications
đBronchodilators (example: albuterol)
đMany diabetes meds including metformin (do you see the irony here?)
đBirth control pills
đNSAIDS
đCertain medications for Parkinsonâs DiseaseÂ
Oftentimes, clues can certainly be found in a pill bottle, once you start to understand the cause and effect and even put together a timeline of when the clue appeared. This is why it is so important to keep a health journal, especially when multiple clues make themselves known. Think of it as writing your personal detective story!
Our body rarely deceives us!Â
xoxo~ liz
#caringissharing
#footcareisgoodmedicine
#knowyourfoundation
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
Health Clues from Your Liver part 3
We think of the liver as the bodyâs main â˘ď¸âŁď¸detoxifier, and THAT it is for sure. Did you notice that the liver is also a storehouse with many rooms? We all have at least one junk drawer, or junk closet in our homes, right? If you were to take a tour of the liver, youâd find nicely organized âroomsâ filled with glucose and glycogen (for energy), vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as well as helpful hormones and phytochemicals to be released and used as needed.
Deep inside the liver lies the bodyâs âjunk closetâ where it keeps itâs darkest stash of the truly âbad boyâ toxinsâ˘ď¸âŁď¸. The liver is not a hoarder⌠quite the opposite! It is doing its best job getting rid of trash and debris as fast as possible. Sometimes, either the liver can no longer keep up with what the body is exposed to, or the toxin is so nasty that the liver throws it immediately into the far corner of the junk closet.
What kind of junk might you find in the liverâs junk closet?
â˘ď¸Petroleum products (including those found in mainstream household cleaners and personal care products)
â˘ď¸Pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides
â˘ď¸Aspartame (you may know this as the artificial sweeteners NutraSweet and Equal)
â˘ď¸MSG (monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer commonly found in Asian food, canned vegetables, soups, and processed meats)
â˘ď¸Viruses and virus waste materials
â˘ď¸Certain medications (including opioids)
â˘ď¸Toxic heavy metals
If the liver didnât do this, weâd be a walking hot mess, and frankly, we probably wouldnât live long or productively as the brain, heart and other organs wouldnât be able to tolerate the exposure.
We are built incredibly uniquely, and our livers all work in varying degrees according to our genetics and epigenetics (the environment we are exposed to). Many people have genetics that inhibit methylation. Methylation is a chemical process that enables the body to receive, absorb, and utilize key nutrients we get through eating, drinking, and living in a âcleanâ mannerâŚ..ie: lots of fresh unprocessed foods and fresh filtered water and spending time in the sunshine!
Methylation occurs in the liver in tandem with the ileum (the last little bit of the small intestine). If either the ileum or the liver is impaired, methylation cannot occur efficiently. Vitamin B12 is critical to efficient methylation. If you have not yet incorporated đYoung Livingâs Super Bđ into your daily supplement routine, I encourage you to give it a try and see if you donât notice a difference!
When the âjunk closetâ of the liver has hit its overflow and begun filling the hallway, the methylation process is affected. However, when you also add in a liver specific virusâŚ.one that is in the herpetic family (shingles, HHV-6, cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr)…. The real trouble starts. Viral waste buildup is one of the most problematic to the liver and B12 levels will slowly begin dropping in the body. Additionally, the liverâs â junk closet doorâ has now burst open and virus byproducts are now in the bloodstream causing inflammation within the body, dermatoxin related rashes, and brain fog.
Major clues indicating the liver is waving the white flag are on todayâs graphic, and there are many more. Remember, the liver performs hundreds (if not thousands! ) of tasks. If the liver fails to deliver and the task is incomplete, something didnât happen in the body that should have. Slowly over time, these incomplete tasks will begin adding up until eventually you have a clue so big, youâve had to make an appointment with your favorite health professionalđŹ.
Other clues indicating significant liver burden include:
đRandom aches and pains : The liver purifies blood and produces new blood. When not enough âcleanâ blood is available to reach tendons, muscles, and other tissue, it may result in decreased flexibility, pain in upper back, and even dry eyes!
đNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) : may show up as random pain in the back or on the upper right side of the abdomen, kidney, or shoulder blade (referred pain).
đSpider Veins: If the liver cannot properly clean the blood, then clotting issues near the surface of the skin result.
đDarker Urine (see a health professional please!)
đDarker Emotions: An unhealthy liver exacerbates predisposition to depression or negative mood swings.
đGout
đEczema, psoriasis, skin rashes, breakouts, or itchy skin
đAllergies and asthma
đBad breath
đFibromyalgia
đFluid retention
đHeadaches
đHigh blood pressure
đHigh cholesterol
đErratic blood sugar or diabetes
đCompromised immune system (including autoimmune disorders)
Once the liver âjunk closetâ is fullâŚ. Itâs full and unless someone starts a cleanup process, the spillage will only continue. Have you ever cleaned the house while someone went right behind you and tracked in more dirt, left dishes in the sink, and ohâŚ. Forgot to flush all the toilets?đą Thatâs what the liver feels like if itâs burdened to the point of overflow and someone decides to clean it up on the inside, but does not stop exposure to all of the petrochemicals (standard household, personal care, and skin care toxins), pesticides, processed foods, contaminated water, etc.
If you have not yet ditched your liver saboteurs, I encourage you to begin today. đżThieves Household Cleaner, the entire line of Young Living body and personal care, and Savvy Minerals cosmetics are all liver friendly! đż
Thankfully, the liver is incredibly resilient and forgiving with the right care and TLC, and is able to regenerate itself and regain function. It can do this even when itâs been compromised by more than 60%. The caveat to that factoid is this: permanent and thorough damage cannot be undoneâŚ..precisely the reason we want to avoid walking to the end of that road.
Happy liver, happy life!
xoxo~ liz
#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#loveyourliver
Health Clues from Your Liver(Gall Bladder)
The gallbladder is a literal bountiful bag of body clues! Itâs a small pouch that sits just under the liver, located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Itâs a little bag with a big responsibility! đŞ
The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver. Bile digests fat and helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E & K) and fatty acids (think omega 3/ 6âs). It becomes extremely important to take a quality Omega-3 supplement if your gallbladder is MIA. #Omegagize3forthewin.
Additionally, without a gallbladder, vitamins A,D,E &K become poorly absorbed from foods, and it is prudent to supplement with these vitamins as well. #MasterFormulaandSuperDforsupport A well functioning gallbladder also helps the body excrete fats and fat soluble toxins. Fat soluble toxinsâ are sadly found in common household cleaners, personal care products, food, beverages, and even in cosmetics. To keep the â toxin loadâ down, make the most of your Thieves Household Cleaner (All things Thieves really! ), the wonderful personal care products Young Living has available for us, and the Savvy Minerals cosmetic line. There are hundreds of fat soluble toxins to avoid, and Young Living has done the hard work so that our bodies may enjoy a decreased toxic burden!
Gallbladder removal is THE most common surgery in North America. Gallbladder symptoms (cluesđ) donât evolve overnightâŚ..there are years of foundational âsludgeâ building up beforehand that may have been unintentionally ignored. Most people are under the impression that if the gallbladder is removed, the pain will stop.While the immediate pain will likely go away, it will ultimately be replaced with a different set of pain points and problems.Â
People without a gallbladder become even more prone to digestive problems. If the offending diet and lifestyle is not altered, gallstones can still occur..âŚ. they just stay in the liver.. Risk of developing fatty liver dis-ease is also greater in people without a gallbladder. In the absence of a gallbladder, bile slowly trickles into the intestines and never becomes concentrated enough to digest fats well. Often this results in diarrhea, nausea, bloating and heartburn-like symptoms.
If your detective gears are moving, youâll have just read a wealth of clues đfor those people who may be missing their gallbladder and are still struggling. Hereâs the biggest clue of allâŚ. A gallbladderâs health is dependent upon the liverâs healthâŚ.. So while the gallbladder became the âfall guyâ, the liver was (and still is!) actually screaming for some support. A poorly functioning liver will produce sludgy bile. Thatâs as gross as it sounds. Sludgy bile eventually will eventually cause stones or, like a sewer pipe, a significant clog.
A compromised diet is at the heart of most gallbladder dysfunction:
đĽHaving a diet high in sugar and high fructose corn syrup (learn to look at labels⌠sugar and HFCS hide everywhere!)
đĽHaving a diet high in âmodernâ grains. This leads to fatty liver (we will talk about that soon), which will eventually lead to an unhealthy gallbladder too. There is some pretty compelling research linking gluten intolerance to gallstones. This is another reason Gary was so adamant about getting us our YL Einkorn products!
đĽHaving a diet high in âbad fatsâ. (think processed food/ âfastâ food)Â
Other clues indicating an unhappy gallbladder is on the horizon:
đRegular use of Aspirin (we have many natural alternatives friends âŚ.. Use them!)
đAn existing or suspected diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO, or candida overgrowth. Remember, the liver is an important part of the digestive system, and all parts are ultimately affected when one part begins to falter. The majority of people with gallbladder dysfunction have had poor digestive health for years and have not modified their diet and added supportive digestive enzymes (Essentialzyme-4!) and probiotics.
đGout flare ups
đSeemingly common bouts of âfood poisoningâ. This is a sign of weakened bile flow. Strong bile flow kills pathogens and assists in a healthy and harmonious digestive tract.
đCommon âstrepâ infections. (âcommonâ is a relative termâŚ. In this case, even once a year would be considered common)
đâHot flashesâ. We often only think of this clue as hormonal, but there is a correlation between a toxic liver and a gallbladder that canât keep up with eliminating the toxins.
đA mysterious âcome and goâ chronic pain in the abdomen or rib cage area. (The gallbladder doesnât usually have gallstones at this point, it has toxic sludge that has become so heavy the gallbladder actually droops from its original position putting pressure on some very sensitive nerves around the liver. The âdroopingâ also causes a pulling on the neck of the gallbladder)
đChronic constipation and âslow GIâ transit time.
The gallbladder really is the “canary in the coalmine” when it comes to liver health. UltimatelyâŚ.. If the liver ainât happy, the whole body ainât gonna be happy eventually either.Â
Consider starting and ending your day drinking a glass of water with a few drops of YL lemon or lime vitality oils to support âdecongestingâ lymphatic tissue. Other ways to support healthy lymphatic drainage include lymphatic massage, dry brushing, exercise, eating fresh fruits and leafy greens, drinking plenty of water, deep breathing exercises on the regular, avoiding âreloadingâ with toxins, and wearing loose clothing that is not binding.
These health clues are sooooo important friends. Thereâs no sense crying over spilt milk or a missing gallbladder! Work with what âcha got! đ You didnât know. But now you do, and the good news is you now know youâve got some serious but entirely doable work to give your liver its best life, so that you can lead your best life too! And thank the good Lord (and Young Living) weâve got the tools to do it! Â
xoxo~ liz
#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#loveyourliver
#Godgaveusallourorgansforareason
#thegallbladderneedslovetoo
Health Clues from Your Colon part 3
Whatâs soupy poo telling you? Colon Clues Part III
I could spend almost forever talking about the colon because itâs one of my favorite clue laden organs. But if I did, Iâd step out of the lane weâre driving inâŚ.. And so Iâll do my best to keep focused!
Hang onâŚ. You may learn a little more than you wanted to about chronic diarrhea!đł Itâs not as common as constipation (est 20-30% of the adult population), but if you are one of the estimated 5% who do suffer from chronic diarrhea, you know how important this clue trail is. Interestingly, though chronic constipation is an equally important colon clue, chronic diarrhea will usually send people to their favorite health care professional much faster!
Diarrhea is a symptom (a clue!), not a dis-ease. Approximately 2 gallons of water should be absorbed from the colon every day, and if that doesnât happenâŚâŚ well, diarrhea results. Weâve all had short term diarrhea, and even that gets old fast. Chronic and/or chronic intermittent diarrhea can really throw a kink in daily life.
Rarely, is this clue ignored (because, wellâŚ.. diarrhea wonât generally allow itself to be forgotten!). Paradoxically, chronic diarrhea is not generally a âquick fixâ problem. It takes work to get the gut back to a healthy place!
What possible clues lie behind a case of chronic diarrhea?
đFood or beverage sensitivity: Lactose, gluten, and processed sugar intolerance are the big three, and are more common than you might think. It could be just one ingredient that triggers a run to the bathroom, or it could be a combination of them (think processed foods!).
đTainted water: Yes, even municipal water and bottled water has been implicated on occasion.
đMedications : Antibiotics, antacids, Alzheimerâs medications, metformin (for type II diabetes), colchicine (for gout), NSAIDs (for inflammation, sertraline (for mood), lithium (for mood), digoxin (for heart), chemotherapy medications, synthroid/levothyroxine (for thyroid: NOTE there is a gluten based filler in theseâŚ.. DisturbinglyâŚ. So if gluten is your nemesis, this may be a big clue).
Infections (bacterial, fungal, viral, and/or parasitic). Infections often go hand in hand with inflammation.
đChronic Inflammation in the bowels: Inflammation in the colon morphs into an actual dis-ease state if left unaddressed. Inflammatory Bowel Disease includes ulcerative colitis and Crohnâs disease. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is another colon dis-ease that affects 10-15% of the population and may cause a mixture of constipation and diarrhea. Diverticulosis / Diverticulitis affects roughly half of all people over the age of 60, and approximately 10% will have it before the age of 40. Yet, in ž of these people, it will never cause problems.
đGallbladder inflammation, malfunction, or missing! (up to 20% of people who have their gallbladder removed have chronic diarrhea) Itâs so important to take digestive enzymes if you are missing your gallbladder!
đUncommonly (but needs to be mentioned), some cancers can cause chronic diarrhea.
đExcess vitamin C or Magnesium in the diet.
đFor some people, sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol (even in the smallest amounts) can cause gassy diarrhea.
đA surgical procedure which may have affected the mechanics of the large intestine.
Overcoming chronic diarrhea is usually not a quick fix, and it may require many supportive measures in your âat homeâ tool box. Just as Rome wasnât built in a day, neither will a solid bowel movement be formed after a dayâs worth of good self care, so be patient and be consistent with your plan!
*Get stress under control. The gut brain axis is a real thing, and if emotions are creeping into your gut, it may show up in the toilet too. Use your emotional oilsâŚ.. They do work! Find a mentor like Jen Weir who is an ace at teaching people how to do just this! (https://www.weirtx.com/ )
*Get serious with an elimination or FODMAP diet and find out what your body doesnât like! Note: food sensitivities are found in ½ to â
of people with chronic diarrhea. #itstimetojustdoit
*Probiotics. YLâs Life 9 helps support a healthy microbiome in the colon. When there are enough healthy bacteria to compete with the bad microbes, the bad guys get the boot.
*Digestive enzymes. I cannot emphasize enough how important probiotics and digestive enzymes are to overall health! (YLâŚ. Essentialzyme, Essentialzymes-4, Detoxzyme, Allerzyme, and Mightyzyme for the littles)
*Omega 3âs ( YL Omegagize3) promotes healing and repair and supports a healthy inflammatory response.
*Increase Fiber intake. Start with cooked soft fiber and graduate to âhard fiberâ (fruits, veggies, and whole healthy grains (gluten free for some or low gluten for others). Note that meat and dairy have zero fiber! YLâs ICP is a fantastic source of non-irritating soluble and insoluble fiber. Friends, do your research on ICP. It is a vital supplement for colon support!
*Avoid alcohol sugars (sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, isomalt, xylitol)
*Avoid caffeine. It acts as a laxative.
Diarrhea is the clue. Now itâs up to you to put some of the pieces together! Use this clue and others to kickstart your own research.
As Mary Young says, âIt is our God given right to search, read, study and decide how you will feed and care for your own body.â
xoxo~ liz
#knowbetterdobetter
#healthcluesyoucanuse
#fixyourplumbing
#goodmedicine
#ThanksYL
#colonclues