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Inflammation

The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: Pancreas Part I

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“The pancreas is my favorite organ.” Says no one (almost) ever. Seriously.
 
Unless someone has an existing pancreatic malady, this is one organ that gets very little attention. That’s a shame too… because with the exception of the rarer cases of genetics, infection, or blunt force trauma, nearly all pancreatic dysfunction is self induced. It’s time to bring this odd little organ out of its sandwiched space between the stomach and small intestine and figure out what makes it tick and tremble.
The pancreas has two main jobs: to produce chemicals which help regulate blood sugar, and to produce enzymes which help further digest food and bicarbonate which will further neutralize any stomach acid that has found its way into the small intestine. For being a rather underappreciated organ, if any of these tasks falls by the wayside, there are big consequences.
 
Pancreatitis (both chronic and acute) accounts for more than 360,000 hospital stays each year…. A number that continues to rise.😢
The lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer is currently 1 in 64 ….. A number that continues to rise.😢
The lifetime risk of acquiring diabetes is now roughly 1 in 3 adults….. And that number too has only continued to rise.😢
 
The problem is that the pancreas squeaks out tiny little “help me’s”, and few people take the time to learn and put clues together and then go on to correct the course of personal health history. True, the clues are not necessarily ones that will beat you over the head with a two by four, but they ARE there, nonetheless, and only you, the astute sleuth will likely see them or feel them.
 
Have you ever been out to eat with someone who won’t sit with their back to the door? Chances are, they have been well trained🧑‍✈️ to observe their environment so they won’t be taken off guard by an offender who has ill intent.
 
This is how we guard the pancreas… watching for environmental clues that endanger that little organ, and then blocking their entry into our personal space that we do have control over. None of us wants to be the 1 in 3, the 1 in 64, or the 1 in 100.
 
Environmental contributors to pancreatic distress include:
🔎Heavy alcohol consumption or diagnosis of cirrhosis
🔎A high fat, heavily processed food diet
🔎Obesity
🔎Tobacco products
🔎Abdominal surgery where the pancreas may have had interrupted blood supply
🔎Nutritional deficiencies including (especially) vitamins A, D, E, and K and selenium
🔎A history of infection such as hepatitis, Epstein-Barr Virus (Mononucleosis), Lyme disease, or Cytomegalovirus.
🔎A prior history of autoimmune disorder: especially celiac, irritable bowel disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjogren’s Syndrome.
🔎A history of gallstones
🔎Lab work that reveals high triglycerides
🔎Abdominal trauma
🔎Damage to specific molars (those that are pertinent to pancreatic health and wellness… go back and re-read Chapter 7 in BYOHD Volume I)
🔎Long standing emotions and feelings closely associated with pancreatic distress including: guilt, shame, insecurities, frustration, joylessness, fear of rejection, and lowered self esteem.
🔎Many medications: More than 500 drugs have been reported by the World Health Organization database as causative agents for pancreatic distress. Common offenders include synthetic estrogens (birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy), opiates, steroids, many classes of antibiotics, diuretics furosemide and HCTZ, acetaminophen, and the blood pressure medication enalapril. The vaccinations formulated to prevent mumps (MMR and MMRV) have also been implicated in causing complications with the pancreas in some people.
Perhaps there hasn’t been a vigilant awareness until now, and the environmental offenders have already gotten through the door and gotten a little rowdy with the pancreas, and it’s been roughed up a bit. What would that look like?
When you have a handful of the following clues, you can be fairly certain they have been up to mischief that needs help or correcting.
🔎Diarrhea or bloating
🔎Unexplained weight loss
🔎Signs of malnutrition (lab work can identify this)
🔎Oily, foul smelling stools that are clay or pale in color and tend to float
🔎Poor blood sugar control
🔎Blurred vision
🔎Occasional abdominal pain that worsens after a high fat meal
🔎Occasional abdominal pain that may be worse if lying flat on the back
🔎Fatigue
🔎Chronically dry lips (according to Chinese medicine)
 
Do not hesitate to contact your favorite health professional if you’ve checked the majority of these clues or also have fever or unrelenting abdominal pain!
Thankfully, there are MANY things that may be done to support a healthy pancreas:
💜Eat a healthy varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables, white fish and meats, grass fed beef, foods high in iron, foods that are rich in antioxidants….. Cherries, blueberries, spinach, YL wolfberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, NingXia Red.
💜Incorporate digestive enzymes into your daily routine. (Amylase, lipase, and protease are commonly referred to as pancreatic enzymes, and are found in Essentialzymes-4, Detoxzyme and Allerzyme, or pancreatin and pancrealipase found in Essentialzyme.
💜Avoid opiates as a source of chronic pain management. There are MANY more effective ways to manage pain including scientifically proven meditation, relaxation exercises, acupuncture, yoga, and massage. Supportive supplements to consider include Sulfurzyme, BLM or Agilease, and Golden Turmeric, and essential oils PanAway, Deep Relief, Frankincense, Palo Santo, Helichrysum, Dorado Azul, Valerian, Peppermint, Copaiba, and Idaho Grand Fir. Reishi mushrooms ( found in NingXia Greens and Immupro) help support normal inflammatory and immune system response, especially when used with regularity.
💜Support the pancreas nutritionally with OmgaGize3 (for Omega 3’s), and an excellent multivitamin ( Master Formula ) that contains selenium, and vitamins A, D, E, and K and Vitamin B12 (Super B).
💜Incorporate MCT (Coconut oil) oil into the diet. It doesn’t burden the pancreas the way many other oils do, and it has properties which are helpful to inflammatory conditions.
💜Green Tea (found in Young Living’s Vanilla Lemongrass Tea)
💜Achieving and keeping a healthy weight. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Often simply losing 5-10 lbs is extraordinarily helpful to pancreas function.
💜Keep a close eye on triglyceride levels (optimally, they should be between 50-90mg/dL), and adjust the diet accordingly.
💜Add natural sources of glutamine into the diet: bone broth, grass fed whey protein, grass fed raw dairy, venison, organic poultry, spirulina (found in both Multigreens and NingXia Greens), cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.
💜Improve levels of melatonin in the body! (Immupro or Sleep Essence if supplemental help is needed). There are some compelling studies on the protection melatonin appears to give to the pancreas.
💜Increase intake of antioxidants (easily done with NingXia Red or NingXia Greens)
💜Alkalinize the body with Apple Cider Vinegar and/or Alkalime
Pancreatic Insufficiency, Pancreatitis, and Pancreatic cancer are all three very stealth dysfunctions. The obvious problem with stealth is that they are able to cause a fair bit of dysfunction before the problem is large enough to warrant medical attention. Chronic inflammation of the pancreas is a leading cause of pancreatic cancer, and this form of cancer has a very poor survival rate. All the more reason to keep your pancreas well loved and protected. Taking a quick glance at your stools💩 before they go down the porcelain highway and doing an honest environmental and habit assessment is so important!🧐
 
Roughly 98% of the pancreas is devoted to the job of supplying the body with digestive assistance. The other 2% is devoted to managing blood sugar levels…. And that’s what I’ll bring to the table next: the pancreas and diabetes.
xoxo~ liz
 

Trans Fatty Acids

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Fantastic book/chapter on Trans Fatty Acid (Nutrition and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases) ….. otherwise known as the vegetable oil most fast foods are cooked with.
I’m only able to include the link for the teaser without getting into trouble for posting “paid for” material. Nonetheless, there are nuggets just in the teaser.
Trans Fatty Acids are consistently associated with coronary heart disease, as well as sudden death.
Other things TFA’s are good at? 🤔
🧐raising triglycerides (one of the reasons triglycerides are often thought of as the “tattletale” on a lipid panel… it is a marker (usually) of the junk someone is consuming.
🧐lowering HDL while raising LDL ( what we think of as “good” vs “bad” cholesterol)
🧐raising lipoprotein(a): the worst type of LDL that increases risk for blood clots
🧐promoting generalized body inflammation
🧐promoting insulin resistance (which leads to diabetes)
🧐visceral fat (no amount of working out to compensate for diet will get rid of this so you can eat junk and still have 6pack abs)
🧐 heart arrythmias
Why are they even allowed in the food industry? 🥴 Good question! Follow the money. They are cheap, and increase shelf stability of products, making something “stay fresh (ha!)” longer.
You can read what is free to read here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/neuros…/trans-fatty-acid
Know better. Do better. Be better.
Take care of that temple….. it’s the only one we’ve got!
xoxo

~ liz

Thyroid – part 6: Recap & Strategies

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Perhaps by now you are thinking, “Lordy….is this information on the thyroid ever going to end?” The trail of clues (and ah-ha moments for each individual) touches pretty much every aspect of the body, and there are many wonderful books and resources that go much deeper than I am here. Please, go research! You are worthy and capable of more than you may think. My goal here is to ignite the “ah-ha”, and spur you towards digging deeper on your own, and perhaps that may even need to include finding the right health professional who will partner (key word there!) with you in your personal wellness journey.
 
Recall that the thyroid has a symbiotic and synergistic relationship with many organs and glands in the body. (We haven’t even covered the adrenal glands and sex hormones yet!😁🤓). There is a math phrase, “The whole equals the sum of the parts.” This applies in biology as well: Our body cannot work wholly unless each part is well maintained and works!
 
Before we head further southward in the endocrine system, let’s take a look at a cliff notes version of supportive measures designed to keep your thyroid healthy and happy:
 
🔎Food has the power to heal or kill. Choose wisely and know your sources! Nutrients are best received by the body if in natural form, and if supplementation is needed (often the case in our imperfect world! 😕), choose naturally sourced supplements! Synthetically derived supplements are unfortunately the most common ones found in the marketplace and do not do the job well. This is what makes having our naturally sourced Young Living supplements a beautiful, safe and effective one stop shopping experience!
 
🔎The thyroid needs very specific nutrients to produce sufficient levels of thyroid hormones:
 
🌿Vitamins B2 (riboflavin),B3 ( niacin) , and B6 (pyridoxine): found in YL’s Super B, Master Formula, MightyVites and Balance Complete
 
🌿Iodine: found in YL’s Multigreens, Master Formula, Thyromin,
Balance Complete, NingXia Nitro and Slique Shakes). Recall that it may be a good idea to have an iodine loading test done to see if your body needs more than it is currently getting in your diet and current supplementation.
 
 
 
 
 
🌿Tyrosine: found in Thyromin and Multigreens
 
Additional ways to support and love on that beautiful 🦋butterfly within your throat include:
🔎Keeping the toxin☠️ load to a minimum! Thank goodness we have the entire Thieves Household Cleaner to keep our homes, cars, ourselves, and our pets spiffy, clean, and healthy! Butterflies (and your thyroid!) are so very sensitive to their environment. Recall that toxins include toxic emotions and unresolved drama and trauma. Toxins also may include gluten in susceptible individuals.
 
🔎Be alert for chronic low grade infections that create systemic low grade inflammation, and mediate accordingly. Common sites for these to occur may be within joint replacements, root canals and other dental infections, sinus cavities, breast implants, and parasitic🐉🦠 infections (usually undiagnosed!…. I personally do a parasite cleanse at least twice a year using Parafree along with major liver support)
 
🔎Support your toxin clearing organs so that they may do their job efficiently and effectively…. Pay close attention to how well your liver and kidneys work! If you have an MTHFR gene variance, you’ll want to support your liver function on the regular. The liver has to work that much harder to remove toxins from the body! Studies have shown that carriers of a MTHFR gene variance have a higher risk of developing hypothyroidism if left unmanaged. Conversely, if you have a sluggish thyroid and a normally robust MTHFR pathway, the sluggish thyroid will eventually affect the MTHFR (methylation pathway) that is needed to clear toxins (and fighting inflammation) efficiently from the body.
 
🔎Strive to live as medication free as possible. While it may not always be possible, make it a goal to aim for. You’ll never succeed in something if you don’t create a plan and work towards a goal!
 
🔎Thyroids love exercise! Incorporate an appropriate exercise routine into your daily habits.
 
🔎Remove all possible sources of fluoride and chlorine saboteurs from your world. Check your local water source for fluoride content and filter your water. Remember that Thieves Toothpaste and Mouthwash is your thyroid’s friend!
 
🔎Address Autoimmune Diseases holistically and reduce chronic systemic inflammation in the process.
 
🔎Chronic stress is among the gang of enemies hellbent on destroying the thyroid. Protect your thyroid as you would a small child👩‍👧…… seriously. Use your skills we’ve talked about and work on improving your stress quotient.
 
🔎Protect your Gallbladder! Recall the synergy between those two unlikely organs. If you’ve lost yours, make sure you are supplementing with digestive enzymes such as EssentialZyme or EssentialZymes-4 to help break down the fats needed to assist in the conversion of inactive T4 to active T3.
 
🔎Sleep! 7-9 hours a night to allow the body to reset and heal.
Use supportive essential oils: YL Endoflex, Brain Power, and Clarity blends all have properties which are beneficial thyroid health as does Spearmint, Ledum, Myrtle, Peppermint, and Myrrh.
 
🔎Ashwaghandha: Although not a nutrient, it is an adaptogenic herb that has strong scientific credibility as a supportive measure for thyroid function. This herb is found in EndoGize and PowerGize.
 
Supporting and managing thyroid health isn’t just for those with altered thyroid function. It’s for everyone. We protect what we love, right? We are each a work in progress, and our work is never done because our personal life’s circumstances change daily. We tend to live in one of two ways. God has given us free will to choose throughout our lives, and we can choose to actively live or passively die. I’ve known people who (even despite dying) chose to proactively live. It’s a beautiful thing to see, and their lives have glorified God. Our body is a temple created to serve and worship Him. Treat yourself as though you are a precious gift🎁 worth fighting for.
 
xoxo~ liz
 
(link for purchase of Volume I, BYOHD: https://goodmedicine.info/my-book/ )
 
🔎
 
 
 
 

The Curious Case of Covid and the Shrinking Brain

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Long Covid. Have you heard of it? Maybe perhaps you’ve even experienced it yourself. Those who have experienced it appear to have a variety of symptoms. Headaches, disrupted concentration, anxiety, brain fog, longstanding smell or taste disturbances are common complaints. Occasionally, even psychosis is mentioned.

These brain changes are now physiologically accounted for according to a recent study in the journal, Nature. Inflammation of both the blood vessels and nervous system tissue are noted as probable culprits. I agree with that, but I also believe there are likely other factors involved. One of those factors is the micro-clotting that has been identified as a byproduct of a covid infection. Micro-clotting is an interesting creature and in my personal estimation, it is not getting nearly the attention that it should be getting.

Exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide occurs at the capillary level. Likewise, the exchange of toxins for nutrients from the blood to tissue also occurs at the capillary level. Micro-clotting wouldn’t necessarily cause issue at the larger vessel level (arteries and veins), unless there was a snowball effect of the micro-clots.

My boots on the ground theory is this: If micro-clotting inhibits the mission of the capillaries (to exchange trash for treasure) in the body, what happens? That particular tissue will pay a price. Toxins will accumulate and starvation and slow asphyxia will occur….likely not enough to cause death, but certainly discomfort. As the body starts to feel the effects of this, the subconscious will probably notice first and anxiety will be ramped up, feeling like it’s coming from “nowhere”.

The longer tissue is starved and deprived, the more dramatic the long game. What happens when the body is deprived of what it needs? It shrinks. It comes as no surprise to me that the brain is affected. I’ve worked with several people who have had long covid symptoms, and in my personal experience, there are ways to alleviate and perhaps even reverse the problem.

  1. Reduce inflammation (as the article states)
  2. Open the blood vessels up a bit more with a mild herbal vasodilator
  3. Increase the blood’s ability to “slip” a little more easily within vessels
  4. Use natural gentle products to decrease the body’s hospitality to spike proteins.
  5. Do all of this on a daily basis.

If someone is already on certain medications, there are some contraindications, but overall, it’s a pretty safe method. As always too…… if you keep adding in toxins (commercial household cleaners, bodycare products, toxin laden makeup etc) in your daily grind and only try to fix things by adding things in, the response will be slower. The body doesn’t lie about its state of affairs.

xoxo~ liz

Dopamine – part 4

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🧠Dopamine Deficiency Part IV: More Solutions🧠

Do you struggle with belief in any area of your life? Maybe it’s work…. Self confidence…. Big goals…. If so, know that improving your dopamine balance will only help you grow into living what you struggle to believe. Now would be a great time to grab that bottle of Believe essential oil and become a walking diffuser for yourself. Go grab it now… I’ll wait for you!💕

Gary Young knew which plant chemicals stimulate, protect, and support healthy dopamine levels. And of course, he knew that belief is fueled by dopamine. Essential oils Balsam🌿, Coriander🌿, Bergamot🌿, Frankincense🌿, Idaho Blue Spruce🌿, Ylang ylang 🌿, and Geranium🌿 all fuel belief through their effect on dopamine within us. These are the oils within the blend Believe. Pretty cool right? Gary never made a product that wasn’t highly purposeful!

Other oils that have been found to contain constituents supportive of healthy dopamine levels in the body include rosemary🌿, oregano🌿, thyme🌿, rose🌿, sandalwood🌿, neroli 🌿, palmarosa 🌿, and marjoram🌿 . Did you notice that many of these oils are used in Raindrop massage? Just one more reason everyone should receive a Raindrop on the regular!

God has gifted us with so many natural ways to support dopamine levels. (Go back and review last week’s post so that you’ll have the full combined list!)

🌾Mowing the yard! It may be hard work, but the aroma of fresh cut grass contains a chemical called hexanal (the “green” smell of grass) that stimulates dopamine release.

🌿St. John’s Wort has been found to increase dopamine in the prefrontal cortex of the brain by 40%. Resveratrol has been found to perform similarly ( found in red wine, fresh grapes, dark chocolate, blueberries, peanut butter)

☕️Organic coffee (No more than one cup a day or it may contribute to adrenal fatigue…. A dopamine high followed by a crash!) or a cuppa organic green tea (Have you tried the YL Vanilla Lemongrass Green Tea yet?) is a dopamine supportive treat.

🌿Rhodiola is another herb known to stimulate dopamine receptors and inhibit enzymes that break down dopamine in the brain. Ashwagandha (You might recognize this as an ingredient in Powergize and Endogize) is also an effective adaptogen with supportive dopamine activity.

🧠Pregnenolone is a natural hormone produced in the body that has a positive effect on dopamine levels in the brain. It is an ingredient in hormone supportive Cortistop capsules, PD 80/20 capsules, and Regenolone moisturizing cream. Do a little research on each of these to determine if they might fight your individual hormone balancing needs.

🙌Acupuncture stimulates the vagus nerve, which in turn support healthy dopamine levels. (Go back and reread the section on low vagal tone!)

🎼Creating and performing music boosts dopamine levels even more than listening to your favorite tunes, but all three are effective. Listening to music has even been shown to improve fine motor skills in Parkinson’s patients.

🔥Chronic inflammation reduces dopamine synthesis and release in the brain. We’ve got tools on hand to support a healthy inflammatory response (as opposed to the runaway variety!). Sulfurzyme, BLM, Agilease, and OmegaGize3 are excellent supplements. Nobody can “out supplement” an unhealthy lifestyle…..examine your life and look for offending (and often hidden) toxin triggers in household chemicals, processed foods and drinks, body care products, and makeup.

😴Lack of sleep down regulates dopamine receptors and reduces dopamine receptor availability. You know what to do! Sleep is so very important in ALL aspects of health. Review your sleep hygiene practices and look for “holes in the armor” that may result in interrupted sleep. I LOVE and incorporate Rutavala on the base of my big toe and Immupro (chewable) in my bedtime rituals.

🦀Iron plays a role in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Iron and ferritin levels are important lab values to watch (both for being too low and too high). Natural sources of iron include spirulina ( an ingredient in Multigreens), dark chocolate, spinach, shellfish, organ meats (I highly suggest Sally Fallon’s cookbook Nourishing Traditions), beans, lentils, chickpeas, red meat, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, turkey, broccoli, and fish.

🍋Vitamin C assists with the formation and conversion of dopamine in the brain. Deficient levels of vitamin C may show up as a low mood. Super C Chewables are a tasty way to supplement daily.

🥴Vitamins B6 and B9 are critical for dopamine synthesis. Low folate levels contribute massively to low dopamine levels which may ultimately lead to depression. Super B is another fantastic supplement to help the body in at least a thousand little and big ways.

🪑Alternate between standing and sitting. “Chronic sitting” lowers dopamine levels. Our body was designed to move!

👏Finish a project. Who knew? This in itself causes the brain to flood with dopamine.

Huge (and easy) list, right? And yet, sometimes it may seem hard to get motivated to make the changes. Circle back around….. Grab your bottle of Believe, and start somewhere small. I promise you won’t regret finding your dopamine happy place!

xoxo~liz

#caringissharing#knowbetterdobetter#dopamineisdope#balanceddopamineisgoodmedicine#goodmedicine#BecomingYourOwnHealthDetective

#ThanksYL

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