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Interesting Study on the Influence of the Father’s Diet

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Such an interesting article! We (hopefully) tend to be cognizant of a mama’s health impacting a fetus/baby’s health and future health, but rarely do we think about what impact a man’s health has on the contribution of a child’s health outcome beyond uncommon genetic anomalies.
” A study found that after a 12-week high-fat diet [from ultra-processed foods], father rats had newborn daughters with approximately 30 percent reduced pancreatic beta-cell mass. Beta cells are crucial, as they produce insulin. “
We are largely what we eat…. and so are our babies! Nutrition is key to health (as is exposure to chronic …. even “low grade” chronic toxicity). Do not underestimate the impact your environment has on health outcomes.
xoxo~ liz
a father’s diet shaped his children’s health

Fetal Programming

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The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: What in the heck is fetal programming?
 
You’ve heard it, and perhaps you’ve even believed it…. the puffed up 10% truth most of us have been trained to wholly believe… that genetics largely determines our health fate. However, if you’ve stuck with me this long you’re a seasoned super sleuth and will already know that we have the upper hand. In becoming the conscientious gatekeepers of our personal “temples” (see I Corinthians 6:19), we are prohibiting the careless destruction caused by all things toxic to the mind, body, and spirit, and are largely (upwards of 90+%) able to prevent and circumvent the expression of wayward genes. THIS is what personal health and wellness management should look like.
 
There is another aspect to this though that I’ve not yet mentioned: womb life, and what that means to us as adults. “Fetal programming” is the propensity for developing a disease or dysfunction later in life based solely on environmental womb conditions… not genetics. Fetal programming starts the moment Harry (sperm) met Sally (egg) on the fallopian tube highway , and the effects of it will be felt throughout life and the life of your kids. Yes, what happened in your womb experience can affect future generations. Talk about scripture being walked out in life! (Exodus 20:5)
 
Because I believe in learning from history, let me give you a well documented example of this phenomenon. During the winter of 1944 World War II, the Dutch suffered a 6 month starvation event at the hands of the Nazi’s. More than 4 million people were affected, surviving on about 30% of normal caloric intake. As you might suspect, pregnant women who lived through the Dutch Hunger Winter gave birth to babies who weighed a fraction of what a term baby should weigh. As adults, these children were found to be more susceptible to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other health problems, while their siblings did not. As a result of being starved “in utero”, their bodies developed a “thrifty” mechanism which altered insulin production and the normal metabolism of sugar. As a consequence, when these children grew into adulthood and lived in a “normal food availability” world, their body still responded as though it was living in a state of starvation.
 
While an adaptation like this is meant to be a survival mechanism, it doesn’t always work out that way in health.
 
More examples of this include:
🧐A 2009 study which showed an association between maternal anxiety during pregnancy and the development of asthma in offspring.
🧐A 2011 study which looked at the effects of a violent environment on a fetus during pregnancy. Offspring tended to have poorer health, more difficult temperament, and increased likelihood of depression.
🧐A May 2022 study found that maternal prenatal depressive symptoms had a negative effect on toddler behavior which began expressing by the time they were 18 months old.
🧐Research has also shown that even chronic (key word) mildly stressful living situations can lead to negative changes in the fetus neurologically. The formation of neurons in a fetus begins at the 42nd day of pregnancy, and by the 28th week of pregnancy, a baby’s brain contains billions of neurons….. 40% MORE than the adult brain contains. After the 28th week of pregnancy, complex structural and functional changes in the brain take place, and a chronically stressful environment has an effect on this development. The environmental impact of womb life on a baby’s brain and body development is huge!
Perhaps you are curious how this happens…. ie: the root causes?
👶During stress, there is a rise of maternal cortisol activity in the mom. A chronic higher than normal cortisol activity is thought to lead to the triggering of atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and cholesterol levels as the babies advance through their own adulthood. Low birth weight babies (a clue!) are more likely to grow up having an exaggerated stress response and secrete higher levels of cortisol themselves, have a decreased vascular elasticity and delayed vasodilation (leading to issues related to high blood pressure), have fewer pancreatic beta cells (the cells that make insulin), and tend towards osteoporosis in adulthood.
👶Stress also activates the inflammation process in the baby’s body, which leads to activation of the immune system, releasing chemicals called cytokines. Cytokines are not a bad thing until there is overproduction or inappropriate production, at which point disease or dysfunction occurs.
👶A baby’s brain does not begin to produce serotonin until late in pregnancy. The placenta does provide serotonin to the baby at a level which helps develop both structure and function of the baby’s brain. Animal studies have shown that increased serotonin exposure to fetal brain tissue in utero alters many neuronal circuits which can lead to behavioral problems later in life.
👶Neonatal nutritional deficiencies can affect fetal programming. Malnutrition comes in two forms: under nutrition (scarcity of food) and unhealthy eating habits with high calorie, low nutrition diets. Both result in a lack of essential micronutrients such as iron, folate, choline, vitamin B12, zinc, tryptophan, omega 3 fatty acids and iodine which are crucial to fetal brain development.
 
All of this has profound implications on us as adults, but also on babies 👶forming in the womb. For us grownup humans, if it is suspected (or known) that we were carried by our mothers under stressful conditions, some of us may have to work a little harder🙏💪😴 at mediating stress response because of our own fetal programming scenario. Half the battle is understanding the why. 😉The other half is knowing how to use the tools we have on hand to help support a healthy mind and body. Thank goodness for these tools of ours! I’ve talked at length about them, so I leave it up to you to revisit those posts. Ideally, please share in the comments below what modalities you have found that work best for you. Our personal stories help light the path so that others may also find their way.
 
Now, what about these sweet babies👶in the womb? Thankfully, the placenta plays a vital role in protecting the baby from harmful chemicals that may be in the mother’s blood by acting as both a barrier and a filtration system. A healthy functioning placenta will go a long way to prevent a biochemical or synthetic chemical cause for negative fetal programming. I always smile when I hear a new mama talking about how her midwife or doctor marveled over the beauty of her placenta that was supported daily with NingXia Red. There are soooo many of these stories out there! Some of the ways a healthy placenta may be supported include: NingXia Red, Master Formula, Super C Chewables, Mineral Essence, Sulfurzyme, Multigreens, Super B.* (*all with approval from your trusted doctor or midwife of course! ).
 
The good news is that fetal programming works both ways. Incorporating a healthy mind, body, and spirit/ soul experience throughout pregnancy with improved quality of food eaten, reduced exposure to hormone disruptive and toxic environmental chemicals and mediating maternal anxiety in natural ways improves the chances of a positively “programmed” tiny person who is more apt to be able to roll with life’s punches physically and emotionally. Remember too, that thoughts and words mean something to the body whether that body is an adult or a fetus, and the effects may either be a honeyed balm or a toxin. Words matter, and the body reflects what we think and feel about ourselves.
 
Use your Thieves Household Cleaner. Toss the toxins.
Diffuse your favorite Young Living essential oils. Ditch the endocrine disrupting fake fragrance air fresheners and plug-ins.
Honor your body and the bodies of future generations with your choices.
Think about all those little babies who are worth it! So are we. Each one of us.
xoxo~ liz
 
(link to Becoming Your Own Health Detective Vol I: https://goodmedicine.info/…/becoming-your-own-health…/ )
 

Health Clues from Your Hair – part 1

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Hair is a sensitive and personal subject for many people. Globally, the hair care market is estimated to be about 87.9 BILLION dollars annually. Clearly, people like their hair!. So, if hair goes missing, thinning, or begins to fall out in handfuls, it may be an emotional experience.


Typically, the average adult head loses 80-100 strands of hair a day. If you’ve noticed greater hair loss, the first clue is to determine if thinning hair happened gradually or abruptly and if in patches or across the entire scalp.


One of the most common hair loss triggers is stress and/or😷 illness. Our body perceives mental stress in the same way it responds to excessive physical stress. Persistent high levels of cortisol arrests hair growth and contributes to excessive shedding of hair. If stress remains elevated for an extended period of time, hair will often thin and even turn gray. Bacterial and viral infections can also certainly trigger hair loss, specifically if fear or angst are emotions carried by the individual.
The good news is that stress related hair loss usually stops several months after the stress or sickness has abated.

Stress management is a KEY component to a healthy lifestyle and healthy hair. At no time does it become more important than when the body is already fatigued from fighting an illness. Do not underestimate the power of emotionally supportive oils such as Young Living’s 🙏Stress Away, Peace and Calming, and Valor🙏!

Other additional tress “de-stressing” tips include:
*Incorporating a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables and food high in Omega 3’s, while avoiding processed foods! If you feel that you may not be getting enough Omega 3’s in your diet, add in Young Living’s OmegaGize3 to fill in the gaps! You’d be surprised at how much our bodies (and hair) actually need. Consider also stepping into an anti-inflammatory diet. (Message me privately and I can connect you with a wonderful 28 day program that has helped many people walk through this in a community setting.)
*Detox your body, making sure to drink plenty of water in the process
*Get plenty of sleep
*Let hair air dry
*Avoid using toxic chemicals or synthetic ingredients on hair and scalp, especially those that contain sulfates and parabens.
*Thankfully, we have a full line of healthy and natural body and hair care products available to us with our Young Living membership!


💈Other causes of hair loss include:
👉Hormonal changes due to pregnancy or post pregnancy
👉Too much vitamin A or selenium in a diet or supplement regimen.
👉Not enough protein in a diet
👉Genetics ( male or female pattern baldness)
👉A hormonal imbalance (including PCOS)
👉Low Iron, biotin, Vit D, or Zinc
👉Certain autoimmune diseases
👉A thyroid imbalance
👉Losing weight too quickly (also commonly happens after bariatric or metabolic surgeries)
👉Over processed or chemically exposed hair/scalp
👉Gluten sensitivity
👉A calcium to magnesium ratio imbalance. If the calcium to magnesium ratio is “heavy” on the calcium side in the body, calcification can occur in areas of the body (dangerously in blood vessels) including hair follicles. The calcification stifles hair growth and starves the area of nutrients. While calcium excess is stored in the body, magnesium is not. Additionally, there is a strong cry to “take calcium” to prevent osteoporosis, but rarely do we hear much about taking magnesium to prevent it. Too much calcium and not enough magnesium will eventually contribute to brittle bones. Not all magnesium supplements are created equal in terms of bioavailability. Thankfully, Young Living has done a masterful job of incorporating the right kinds of magnesium in supplements like Super Cal Plus , Master Formula, and the Kidscents Unwind!


Finally, there are many many medications that may cause hair loss:
💊Certain blood thinners such as warfarin and heparin
💊Beta blockers and ACE inhibitors (two classes of blood pressure meds)
💊Biologics (commonly used for certain autoimmune disorders) such as Humira, Amjevita, and Enbrel
💊NSAIDS (the longer the use, the more likely the hair loss)
💊Some antidepressants including Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin
💊Anabolic steroids (leads to a hormone imbalance)
💊Metformin (depletes folate and B12 which are needed for hair growth)
💊Certain acne meds containing isotretinoin (a Vit A derivative… see above)
💊Antibiotics (long term use is especially problematic. The gut lining becomes damaged and nutrients required for hair growth are not absorbed properly)
💊Anticonvulsants
💊Statins
💊Neurontin (commonly used for neuropathy)
💊Hormone therapy (including birth control pills)
💊Some acid reducers (including Tagamet and Pepcid)
💊Heavy metals and poisons including arsenic, thallium, and mercury
Certainly, hair loss may sometimes be out of our control, but there is much that can be done to mediate it, once the reason(s) has been identified! Thorough lab work including a full hormone panel, thyroid panel, and testing for nutritional deficiencies often provides solid evidence as to why a body’s northernmost real estate has become sparsely populated.
“Treat your hair like royalty. It’s the crown you never take off.”
xoxo~ liz


#sharingiscaring
#healthyhairisagoodclue
#goodmedicineisknowningyourhair
#ThanksYL

German Neurologist Warns Against Wearing Facemasks

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Dr. Margarite Griesz- Brisson MD, Phd is a consultant neurologist and neurophysiologist with an additional PhD in pharmacology. She has a special focus in neurotoxicology, environmental medicine, neuroregeneration, and neuroplasticity. Those credentials certainly got my attention! 
This video and transcript is both fascinating and sobering. Here are just a couple of tidbits if you don’t have time to read or watch:
* The human brain is very sensitive to oxygen deprivation… there are acute warning signs (headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, issues with concentration and cognition, and slowing down of reaction time). Over time, with chronic deprivation, those symptoms will disappear as the body adapts to “new normal”, but the damage continues to occur whether you feel the symptoms or not. 
* Neurodegenerative diseases take years to decades to develop…. Dr. Griesz-Brisson is predicting an EXPONENTIAL INCREASE in dementia cases in the next decade thanks to #mandatorymaskingup. 
Please friends, the numbers don’t lie. You have a greater chance of dying from a lightning strike⚡️ than the ‘rona . I watched my dad walk thru dementia before he passed away 7 years ago, and it is a heartbreaking way to live out the sunset years of a life.  Is your brain function worth the oxygen deprivation? Medicine looks at something called risk versus benefit. If the risk of developing dementia does increase exponentially with #maskingup, is it worth it?
xoxo~ liz
www.goodmedicine.info
#sharingiscaring
#braverycomesinallforms
#thetruthisoutthereregardingtherona
#boostyourimmunesysteminstead
#Idlovetohelpyouhaveahealthywinterseason
#ThanksYL

oxygen deprivation causes permanent neurological damage

Power to Heal – part 3

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Part III: The power of the mind!
Early in my pharmacy career👩‍⚕️, I filled a prescription written by an older doctor. I was a young pharmacist, and incredulous at what I was about to fill…… sugar pills. No, they weren’t pills for diabetes. These were flat out simple white pills made of pressed sugar and probably some other inert ingredients. My older co-worker pharmacist told me this particular patient had been getting them for years to help with her anxiety. Oh really?  I thought…. This gal must be crazy. (again, the young naive pharmacist waving her newbie flag). Turns out, she wasn’t crazy, and the doctor was brilliant. 
The “placebo effect” isn’t a new thing. In fact, it’s been around since Methuselah. The mind is a powerful tool…. More effective than we give it credit for. Hundreds (if not thousands!) of studies confirm that our body responds to what we believe and what we tell ourselves…. Regardless if it’s that quiet mind chatter or if we outright talk to ourselves out loud…. our beliefs and our words (spoken or not) shape emotional and sensory perceptions. We truly ARE what we think we are. 
Western medicine acknowledges this as a fact, but rarely utilizes it as a way to jump start the healing process. Migraines, pain, arthritis, asthma, allergies, ADHD,  high blood pressure, IBS,  and depression are just a few dis-eases that have been shown to be responsive  to the placebo effect.
Placebo’s aren’t just in pill form either. A 2014 study in Oxford University looked at 53 trials that compared surgical intervention to placebo. In 74% (39 out of 53) of the trials, there was improvement in the placebo surgery.
The placebo effect works in multiple ways. In addition to the psychological aspect of “we are what we think we are”, “believing” also plays an active role within certain neurotransmitter functions…. Including the dopamine, opioid, serotonin, and endocannabinoid (think CBD) systems. In essence, merely believing that you will feel better activates the body into helping you do just that. 
Our bodies WANT to heal, and perhaps our minds have just not been taught how to participate! 
So if a certain degree of healing can occur simply by teaching someone how to use their own tools available to them (the power of self “prescribed” positive vibes….ie: the physics and biology of frequency!!),  why aren’t more western medicine doctors AND insurance companies educating their patients about this?   Certainly proper eating habits, hydration, and exercise should be added to this list as well. #chalkituptoprofit 
The sad truth is this….. because we are an “insta” country, positivity, slow food, and exercise don’t generally fall into the “insta” bucket of western medicine. Positivity is cultivated by close friendships and/or family with a healthy portion of gratitude and kindness, and dare I say it… a faith that produces peace that passes all understanding.  It is a learned character trait that ANYONE can master should they desire to do so. 
Western medicine should be our safety net, not a quick fix.    
Mind over matter… matters.  
👉What’s next? Part IV…. Body, how do you heal thyself? 👈
Xoxo~ liz

If you’d like to learn more about the power of our minds, I highly suggest Dr. Carolyn Leaf’s books (Who Switched off my Brain and others!)
#knowbetterdobetter
#sharingiscaring
#powerinthinking
#ThanksYL

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