Medications

Pancreas – part 2

Liz James · September 13, 2022 ·

The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: Pancreas Part II – A front porch chat about Type II Diabetes medications

One of the most frustrating (recurring) experiences in my pharmacy

career is watching the slow motion “arson”

crime scene that is Type II Diabetes, and not being able to carve out the time (within the crazy busy demands of a pharmacist’s job) to properly educate those who desired a way out. I loved my pharmacy clients, and it’s never pleasant watching the decline of someone you care about, especially when the decline was, in most cases, 100% preventable.

Here are a few facts to chew on:

Type II Diabetes is a lifestyle disease, yet many (dare I say most) clients did not alter their eating habits or increase exercise in an effort to change the outcome of their diagnosis. Perhaps they just didn’t know…. or didn’t care. Either way, the evidence was in their grocery shopping carts as they picked up their prescriptions! Diabetic medications tend to give a false sense of security…. “If I just take my medication, I can still eat what I want.” It doesn’t work that way! …. While blood glucose may appear to stay marginally managed, insulin producing pancreatic cells continue to die off and free radicals are produced at a crazy rate causing even more inflammation…. THE VERY THING THAT ADDS GASOLINE TO THE DIABETES FIRE AND DESTRUCTION within the body.
Type II Diabetes is a multibillion dollar industry with the clear winners being Big Pharma and the Medical Industrial Complex….NOT the patient (despite this being a completely overcomeable disorder) . Type II diabetes is a $237 BILLION (and rising!) annual jackpot to these entities. Thinking about it a little differently…… it would be a huge loss financially to the industry if people actually recovered from their unwell ways and became healthy again.
Once someone gets started on the slippery slope of Type II diabetic medication use, it’s often very difficult to find a prescriber who will spend the time to help their patient backwalk out of Type II diabetes. Many doctors now work for corporations, and like pharmacists who do the same, they have daily quotas to meet. That means dialogue is typically limited to just a few minutes before the next patient/client must be seen. I suspect it is a rare conversation that a doctor says…. “You can reverse this now with some effort. Would you like to know how?” At least that would give the patient the opportunity to make a choice to alter their trajectory in a positive way, instead of believing they were on an unstoppable path of disease with no way out.
The side effects of blood glucose lowering medications are responsible for over 100,000 ER visits in the US per year (not counting the other visits related to diabetes aggravated cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, kidney damage, vision problems, gastroparesis, strokes, neuropathy, foot ulcers, dementia, hard to treat infections, and more).
It’s not uncommon to have a conversation with a Type II diabetic where I hear something that goes like this: “I can’t afford to eat healthy or use any supplements outside of what my insurance will pay for.” While this may be their belief, it’s certainly not true. People diagnosed with diabetes spend (on average) $16,752.00 per year OUT OF POCKET for medical expenses, which is much much higher than modifying diet and lifestyle habits! Besides, can you put an actual price tag on health? I will always maintain that where there is a will, there’s a way!
While all of the medications commonly used in Type II Diabetes are prone to side effects, a little known fact is that many of them actually make the health situation of a diabetic worse instead of better.

Did that last point startle you? Let me explain.

Type II diabetes is a completely different beast than Type I. Type I is only treatable with injected insulin, while Type II has many oral medications which are typically used as a first line of treatment. If lifestyle changes and diet are not addressed in the process, there is a high likelihood that the ultimate result will be destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas and insulin will eventually be added.

Unlike Type I diabetes, with Type II, the pancreatic beta cells ARE churning out insulin like crazy….. at least in the early years of Type II. The cells are just not able to recognize and utilize it because their sensitivity has been deadened by chronic and caustic glucose overload. Typically, there are many “early years” in the story of the average Type II diabetic. If the pancreatic cells haven’t burned themselves out yet, there is a significant opportunity for full recovery. (Labwork would reveal if this is the case…. more on that later.)

Medications such as Metformin, Glyburide, Glipizide, Glimepiride, Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone all carry the ability for causing deficiencies of coQ10, folate, vitamin B12, and significant damage to the gut microbiome. You hopefully know by now, that if the gut ain’t happy, the rest of the body is in for a rocky ride.

When those deficiencies gain speed, brain fog, depression, neuropathy, muscle cramping, liver damage, digestive issues, yeast infections, fatigue, high blood pressure, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease start showing up for the (not so fun) party. Each one of these symptoms is at risk for being medicated unless your favorite health professional has the wherewithal to get you on supplements to mediate those deficiency risks.

Additionally, these medications don’t just magically change sugar into something friendlier to the body. They instead turn the excess sugar into fat, making it harder to lose weight, padding the liver with fat (fatty liver disease), and contributing to inflammation

along the way.

What if insulin shots have already entered into the picture? I have met Type II diabetic patients who have been able to reverse their need for insulin with diet, exercise, and close supervision of a trusted health professional, so it is most assuredly doable unless countless years have already gone by and it is determined by your (willing to help) health professional that too much damage has been done. Long term lantus (probably one of the most commonly used insulins in use today) carries an increased risk of cancer, and it does not play well with pre-existing kidney or liver disease. That’s interesting, because someone with Type II diabetes who has “graduated” to insulin will have already developed fatty liver disease and compromised kidneys because of the sugar load. This is akin to giving an arsonist

a book of matches

Injectables Byetta and Victoza do help improve insulin sensitivity, but at the risk of thyroid cancer (Victoza), GI issues, dizziness, hair loss, weakness, drug induced pancreatitis, kidney damage, gastroparesis, serious infections, anemia, and weight gain. The literature on this class of drugs states that these medications are to be used as an adjunct to diet modification and exercise and with those two will come weight loss. Unfortunately, that often gets lost in translation, and people instead gain weight instead of losing weight as they mentally give the medication the responsibility of doing the work while lifestyle habits remain unchanged.

Drugs such as Januvia, Janumet, and Onglyza are used to drop HbA1c (a 3 month panoramic view of blood sugar levels) by 1-2% of the current HbA1c. For example, if you have a high HbA1c of 8, this would suggest that these medications may drop your HbA1c to 7.84…. A whopping total of 0.16 points. A concerted effort to change diet and exercise habits would drop that number much lower AND wouldn’t give the added “gift” of an increased risk of pancreatic and thyroid cancers, pancreatitis, generalized inflammation, skin reactions, runny nose or congestion, upset stomach, or dangerous lack of urine production.

In December 2008, well known New England Journal of Medicine published what is now known as the “ACCORD” study, which showed that the more aggressive the attempt to control Type II Diabetes pharmacologically, the greater the risk of death to the Type II patient.

Is it worth the risk to manage Type II diabetes simply by taking a pill instead of addressing the root cause? I am in no way implying that anyone should cold turkey stop taking their medication. Heavens no! Diabetic meds are very serious medications and you’ll want to have a chat with your prescribing professional about what your personal desires are.

This is a tough topic, and it makes me uncomfortable addressing it, because I know that it may make many of you uncomfortable too. We can’t dance around this topic though, because the truth is what we need in health and wellcare….and after all, there IS good news!

Not every disease and dysfunction has a relatively simple and inexpensive repair process like Type II diabetes does. Diet, exercise, adequate nutritional supplementation when deficiencies are identified, and partnering with a knowledgeable professional or two to help you along the way will improve both your quality and quantity of life! I can just about guarantee that.

Next up? Tips and tricks to both avoid and shed the Type II diagnosis

xoxo~ liz

#becomingyourownhealthdetective

#BYOHD

#goodfoodisgoodmedicine

#theapplicationofknowledgeisgoodmedicine

#goodmedicine

The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: Pancreas Part I

Liz James · August 24, 2022 ·

“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

#goodmedicine

#becomingyourownhealthdetective

Finding Clues in “The Pill”

Liz James · July 28, 2022 ·

The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: Finding clues in The Pill

“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.” ~Abraham Lincoln

The further I get into my life, the more appreciation and value I’ve placed on ferreting out root causes… not only in health matters, but also in the consequences (both good and bad) of relationships, government, … pretty much anything that has made me ask “Why?”. This curiosity has proven to be both a blessing and a curse because I’ve been down some pretty deep and winding rabbit holes, usually coming up for air with a different outlook on what I thought I knew. For those of you who have also engaged in learning in this manner, this will resonate deeply with you. Once you have learned something that is verifiably true but unpopular in media presentation, you have to make a choice: either swim upstream, or swim in the direction of the majority and try to forget what you have learned. In my own personal observation, the latter does not bode well either emotionally or physiologically . A person cannot live a duality (believing one thing yet acting in opposite) for long without negative consequences ultimately manifesting.

I spent decades (both personally and professionally) in educated ignorance, believing that birth control pills were benign “helpers” for preventing pregnancy and calming dragonesque cycle symptoms. Perhaps you do (or did) too. In my defense, it wasn’t my fault. This is what we are taught in pharmacy school as are all health professionals taught within the singularly allopathic education setting.

Hormone based birth control is one of the most common types of prescriptions filled in a retail pharmacy setting. An estimated 14% of women aged 15-49 utilize synthetic hormone based birth control (pills, IUD’s, implants, vaginal rings, and patches). With numbers that high, how could a class of products not be both safe and effective?

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” ~ Upton Sinclair

What he said!

At some point, culturally, we lost the history of birth control pills. Had we known the history, and had we kept up with the outcomes, would we (culturally) still be choosing the perceived easier swim downstream? I don’t have the time within this series to write the pages upon pages that should be devoted to this topic, so I’m leaving breadcrumbs for you to go digging on your own, or at the very least perhaps raise a hairy eyebrow and give the facts some serious thought.

Ethinyl estradiol was studied and used by the Nazi’s in chemical sterilization experiments in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Ethinyl estradiol is one of the most common ingredients found in birth control pills today.

The Pill was first tested experimentally in Puerto Rico in 1956. The women involved in the study were not informed that they were participating in a drug trial or of the potential side effects of the trial they were involved in. 11% of the women withdrew from participation because of adverse effects. According to information in the Congressional Nelson Pill Hearings of 1970, 5 participating women died and were buried without an autopsy. The focus of the Puerto Rico study was on efficacy, not safety.

The Pill was introduced in 1960 during a cultural revolution, when all things natural were being shunned in favor of man made…. Tang for orange juice, formica and shag carpet instead of wood or stone, margarine instead of butter. Coincidentally, the incidence of autoimmune disorders began rising rapidly by the early 1970’s, with more than 80% of those cases being found in women. That statistic has not changed. The Pill became a symbol of women’s rights, and in the process, it hormonally defeminized women. In a twist of irony, as birth control pill waste is flushed (literally) into the water supply, it now also plays a role in the demasculinization of men through its contribution to the estrogen dominance phenomenon in males.

It was recommended early on that The Pill be used by a woman for two years or less in order to prevent possible sterilization. Some women take The Pill for 30 years or longer. Meanwhile, infertility rates continue to rise. According to the CDC’s most recent data, approximately 19% of women in the USA ages 15-49 now have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant.

The Pill was approved for use prior to Congress passing the 1962 Kefauver-Harris Drug Efficacy Amendment which requires drug manufacturers to prove both safety and efficacy.

“It would be natural at this point to think, ‘It’s been 50+ years! Surely today’s version of The Pill has been proven safe.’ That’s a reasonable assumption. However, it’s dead wrong. The maker of today’s most popular birth control brands [as of 2019] Yaz and Yasmin, paid out $2.04 BILLION to settle over 10,000 blood clot lawsuits as of 2016, and the number of injuries, deaths, and lawsuits continues to rise.” ~ (

Book: In the Name of The Pill, page 30)

The reality is that sometimes decades go by before a very serious side effect is appreciated, and if there is enough money to be made, “those with the gold ultimately make the rules” (and make digging for truth a little harder).

Birth control pills come with a fine print document thanks to the 1962 Kefhauver-Harris Amendment. In addition to establishing both safety and efficacy, it also introduced the concept of patient informed consent. Allow the patient to make their own decision after weighing the pros and cons. Have you ever read one of these patient package inserts?

I’m including a link here for the popular birth control pill, Yaz, as a real world example. It’s 29 pages long and corroborates what I’m about to share:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/…/2011/021676s008lbl.pdf

According to FDA access data sheets on birth control pills, there is risk (think clues!) of:

Thromboembolic disorders and other vascular problems (Note: that BCP’s containing drospirenone have been found to cause 2-3x more blood clots than in previous pill generations)

Strokes

Increased copper retention. Symptoms of excess copper include anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, chronic fatigue, inflamed joints, insomnia, infertility, hair loss, headaches, diabetes, endometriosis, recurrent fungal infections, both high and low blood pressure, and increased breast cancer risk. It is also a biomarker for thyroid disease. Note that copper and zinc are closely connected, and their ratio is important for optimal health. BCP’s (including copper IUD’s) also concurrently facilitate zinc depletion, causing further disruption of this ratio. Hair analysis is often the most accurate way to check copper and zinc levels.

Migraines and other headache types

Atherosclerosis (plaque build up and hardening of the arteries). Risk increases with duration of BCP use.

Increase in C-Reactive Protein levels, a marker for inflammation. The longer a body is inflamed, the greater the risk for autoimmune disorders, vascular diseases, and brain disorders.

Diabetes. Synthetic hormones affect the body’s ability to process carbohydrates. Nearly 1 in 5 women taking The Pill develop abnormal glucose tolerance.

Elevated triglyceride levels, affecting nearly ⅓ of BCP users.

Breast Cancer. Note that the American Cancer Society recognized synthetic hormones as a possible risk factor for breast cancer in 1961, and that The Pill ingredients have been found to cause breast cancer in all 5 animal species commonly used in pharmaceutical research and development.

Immune system suppression. Estrogen plays a key role in the immune system. Synthetic estrogen causes the body to cut back on its own production of body made estrogen.

Gallbladder disease (According to the American College of Gastroenterology, women between the ages of 20 and 60 years are three times more likely to develop gallstones than men.)

Bleeding irregularities (In relation to menstruation), including heavy bleeding and pelvic pain that may result in a suggested hysterectomy.

Depression. The American Journal of Psychiatry published a 2016 study by researchers in Denmark who reported that women taking hormonal contraceptives have up to triple the risk of suicide when compared to women who never took hormonal birth control. Another study found that 1 out of every 3 pill users showed depressive personality changes and 1 out of 20 had suicidal ideations.

The possibility of “over suppression syndrome” (Any part of the body which is not used or little used over an extended period of time leads to disuse atrophy: otherwise known as infertility in this case.)

Loss of Libido

Nutritional deficiencies including B1, B2, B6, Folate, B12, Vitamin C, Zinc, Magnesium, Iodine, and many other micronutrients.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis

Increased risk for developing lupus. The incidence of lupus has tripled in the last 40 years, and 90% of those affected are women.

Crohn’s Disease (beneficial bacteria in the gut is adversely affected by BCP’s)

Weight gain (Just prior to the FDA’s endorsement of The Pill, the federal government ordered all poultry producers to stop using synthetic estrogens to fatten chickens because it was known to cause cancer in animals. )

Increased risk of developing cervical cancer by 2-3x. Risk increases with BCP use longer than five years.

An estimated 6-7 out of every 10 Pill users take medication to counteract BCP side effects on a routine basis. Most commonly: diuretics, pain medication for headaches, anti anxiety medications, antidepressants, self medicating for fatigue and lethargy (caffeine etc).

********************

I’ve focused mostly on synthetic estrogen and estrogen dominance up (see previous posts on estrogen dominance and endocrine disruptors) and I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the distinct differences between natural progesterone and synthetic progestins.

Progesterone is enormously beneficial to a woman’s body. It:

Protects and supports cardiovascular health

Stimulates hair growth

Generally beneficial for mood and a good night’s sleep

Is healing and calming to the body

May reduce the risk of breast cancer

Improves libido

Helps with weight loss

Improves bone formation

Conversely, Progestins (the synthetic version of naturally occurring progesterone) can cause:

Hair loss

High blood pressure

Can cause anxiety and depression

Can increase the risk of breast cancer

Bloating

Loss of libido

Interference with sleep

Itchy eyes

Fatigue

Progestins are believed to cause birth defects and are contraindicated in pregnancy. Conversely, progesterone is an absolute requirement to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Progestins reduce electrolyte availability within cells ( this may manifest as irregular heartbeat, fast heart rate, fatigue, lethargy, seizures, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramping, irritability, headaches, numbness and tingling)

(Note that many of these are similar in nature to estrogen dominance.)

When you use synthetic progestins, the body quits making its own progesterone (the good stuff!), and the synthetic variety “clogs up” the progesterone receptors in the body. If a woman has been taking progestins for quite some time, it’s likely that her body will have to relearn how to produce progesterone again which may take several months. Herbs that help support the body’s natural progesterone production include chasteberry (also known as vitex), evening primrose oil, rhodiola, ashwagandha (found in Young Living’s EndoGize ), schisandra, and wild yam (found in Young Living’s Progessence Plus serum, Femigen capsules, Regenolone and Prenolone Plus creams). Foods which also support healthy progesterone production include those high in zinc, Omega 3’s, vitamin C, magnesium, and B vitamins. Do your research and eat for your hormones! If obtaining enough in a daily diet is challenging, consider adding Young Living’s Super C chewables, and Super B tablets. Several Young Living supplements (ex: Master Formula & OmegaGize3 respectively) also contain magnesium, zinc and Omega 3’s!

I realize I’ve dropped many bread crumbs for you to follow here. Heck, there are some downright loaves waiting to be picked up and examined should you be so inclined. There is much more to be learned from the story of The Pill.

There are many reasons women use BCP’s outside of preventing unplanned pregnancies, and by using synthetic hormones as a chemical band-aid, the root cause of the issue is being left to fester. Find a holistically minded health care professional who will help you find and address your root cause(s). It literally could be as simple as changing diet, addressing stress, supplementing to prevent a deficiency, using Young Living essential oils strategically, or increasing exercise!

Are there other effective options for preventing unplanned pregnancies? Certainly, there are, and there are emotional, physical, and relational health benefits to be had in utilizing them. There are a variety of cycle “health detective” clues you can come to rely on with remarkable accuracy. Do some digging on the topic “Natural Family Planning Methods”.

Fertility is not a disease and there is a rather steady supply of evidence which indicates that by medicating otherwise healthy women, we have unwittingly done great harm in the process. My job as a pharmacist is to provide the patient package insert as instructed by the Congressional Kefhauver-Harris Amendment, thereby giving the patient the opportunity of informed consent.

Risk versus benefit.

It’s the patient’s right, responsibility, and choice to either consent or deny. Most have never received a thorough explanation allowing for an educated decision.

Lots of clues friends! Embrace the sleuthing process. It will only serve you well. I promise.

xoxo~ liz

#BYOHD

#becomingyourownhealthdetective

#toxinfreeisthewaytobe

#goodmedicine

#ThanksYL

#toxinfreeslifestyle

#endocrinedisruptionhidinginplainsight

#ThePill

Why This Pharmacist Turned Plant-Powered

Liz James · July 12, 2022 ·

It’s all relative! My thoughts on wellness, Healthcare and International Essential Oil Day 2022

#Godgaveuswhatweneedinthegarden

#selfempowermentisgoodmedicine

Clues to Infertility – Sperm

Liz James · July 7, 2022 ·

The Southern Side of the Endocrine System: “Tell Tail” Sperm

I spent twelve years of my pharmacist career

behind the scenes within the infertility industry. Looking back, I realize now that that timeframe (2000-2012) was the “canary in the coalmine” years for our country’s fertility decline. The infertility industry accelerated at rocket speed

to keep up with the need. Interestingly, the trajectory of infertility and autoimmune disorders share a remarkably similar path and timeline.

As I was accumulating research for this particular topic, I couldn’t help but dig deeply into current information and statistics. When I left the industry in 2012, 10% of women (ages 18 to 44) struggled with fertility and a growing number of men were also being diagnosed with fertility disorders. Sadly, these numbers have only continued to escalate.

Male factor infertility (MFI) currently accounts for 50+% of infertility issues for a couple. Biomechanically, studies have analyzed and found that the most common causes include:

An absence or low levels of sperm (and estimated 10-15% lack sperm entirely)
Abnormal shape of sperm
Abnormal movement of sperm (these swimmers should be swimming fast in one direction!)
Abnormal release of sperm

While this is important information, it does not expose the root of the problem….. Why are sperm count and “swimability” continuing to decline? After all, men are still men all these thousands of years later, determined by the presence of their XY chromosome.

For all of eternity there has been the occasional physical trauma or genetic anomaly affecting the family jewels (or to the pituitary or hypothalamus which participate in the sperm production process). This trauma or anomaly may have long term implications on sperm production, and while damage may be a plausible reason for infertility, this factor has not changed over the years, and therefore has a very small role in the more than 50-60% decline in sperm production since 1973.

Infertility (both male and female) is a massive clue pointing directly towards the presence of toxins in a personal environment. Recall that the endocrine system is an incredibly precise chemical cascade. When that cascade is interrupted by a daily barrage of toxins, the “machinery” ceases to function as it should. Imagine water in a gasoline tank. If that happens, a vehicle simply ceases to work. Water seems innocent enough, until it has polluted that which makes the vehicle go.

What are some of the “water in the gas tank” possibilities when it comes negatively affecting sperm production? Glad you asked! Seemingly innocent lifestyle choices and habits are often overlooked and are generally the predominant culprits.

Processed Foods – Studies have connected eating processed foods (especially those with fats found in margarines and hydrogenated cooking oils) with decreased sperm count and altered sperm motility.
Alcohol – Heavy drinking is connected with reduced sperm quality and decreased testosterone production.
Caffeine – Excessive amounts of caffeine may lower sperm count.
Smoking- Tobacco negatively affects sperm count and quality.
Marijuana and THC
Exposure to mainstream household/ work chemicals or solvents. While some of these product ingredients are outright carcinogenic poison to the body, others are a slow daily drip of kryptonite to our mighty men. This slow drip of “kryptonite” ( aka: BPA and phthalates found in plastic water bottles, bodycare products and epoxy resins, dioxins, herbicides, organophosphate pesticides, flame retardants, lead, arsenic, mercury, and glycol ethers found in household and industrial cleaners, adhesives, and degreasers) erodes masculinity at its very core by raising estrogen levels and simultaneously lowering testosterone levels. Estrogen dominance does not discriminate. Men are prone to this hormonal imbalance too. ED is easily identifiable with lab work (testing testosterone and estrogen levels both), the visual presence of “man boobs”, and the specter of infertility or erectile dysfunction.
Cell phone in the front pocket of pants – Semen quality and quantity has been found to be adversely affected when a cell phone in “talk mode” is carried in the pocket of pants.
Choice of underwear – Tight fitting underwear (or pants) increases testicular temperature which reduces both sperm count and motility.
Chronic stress – The body does not lie, and it will work to protect itself (and its potential offspring) when in chronic fight/flight/ or freeze mode.

Many common medications are often thefts of male fertility too:

SSRI’s – used for mood disorders. An estimated 11% of infertility is caused by this class of medication. These medications affect DNA sperm quality and erectile function. Common culprits include sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram, lexapro, and paroxetine.
Testosterone replacement therapy (especially when used incorrectly) drastically reduces the level of testosterone in testicles, which in turn lowers sperm production.
Antihistamines (eg: loratadine and cetirizine) and antacids (eg: ranitidine and cimetidine) appear to have long term negative effects on male fertility
Calcium Channel Blockers – This is a class of medications commonly used in the management of high blood pressure, angina, migraines, heart disease, and some heart arrhythmias. (eg: amlodipine, nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem)
Tamsulosin – (used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia)
Cipro and Levaquin – (antibiotics)
Some vaccinations, especially when combined with an existing toxin load in the body, are being studied as possible contributors to infertility

Unlike eggs, sperm are constantly created when conditions are healthy. An entirely new sperm health profile is possible within 2-3 months of consistent positive changes being made:

The Scottish kilted men knew what they were doing, but if wearing a kilt doesn’t appeal to you, consider boxers instead of briefs.
Get an EMF blocker for cell phones, AND remove an active phone from the front pocket of pants.
Watch for endocrine disruptors in your daily life. Reading labels is HARD, even for me. There are hundreds of common chemicals in household and daily use personal care products that fall under the “Endocrine Disruptor” category, and we can’t possibly memorize them all. Keep it simple and worry free by purchasing from Young Living. No label reading required because everything is safe, toxin free and fertility friendly. Clean inside and out with Thieves Household Cleaner and Thieves Kitchen and Bath Scrub. Cologne is another common endocrine disruptor source. Thankfully, Young Living’s essential oil blend Shutran is healthy, hormone supportive, and smells incredible! The Shutran Men’s Care line has body wash, aftershave lotion, bar soap, beard oil and shaving cream. These, in addition to the YL shampoos and conditioners, ensure you’ve cleaned up well, with no endocrine disrupting along the way.
Support healthy male hormones and a more balanced stress response with Young Living’s PowerGize capsules, or consider applying YL’s Idaho Blue Spruce essential oil to inner and outer ankles morning and night.
Work towards correcting lifestyle habits and choices which may be diluting sperm production. Eat, sleep, and manage stress as though a generation is depending on you, because they are! This includes protecting boundaries in all areas of life.
In most instances, pharmaceutical use can also be minimized or avoided entirely with lifestyle changes and the help of your favorite holistically focused healthcare professional. Get to know your Young Living supplements and oils. They are extraordinarily valuable tools that can help you in ways you might not yet imagine. Do some digging and/or ask a savvy friend!

Health is the most valuable possession any of us have, and it’s the one thing we do have full control over unless we abdicate that right by giving it over to someone else to manage. Nobody will care for or know you better than you.

Swim upstream. Future generations will thank you for providing them with a strong foundation of health!

xoxo~ liz

#BYOHD

#becomingyourownhealthdetective