Preventive Health & Root-Cause Medicine

According to Eastern philosophies, whether it is Indian, Chinese, Tibetan or Thai, the left side of the body is totally different from the right side. Even some Buddhist monastic traditions include within their precepts for monks to sleep on their left side.

Although it sounds weird resting and sleeping on your left side has many health benefits.

Lymph drains to the left.

The left side of the body is the dominant side in the lymphatic system. Most of the lymph drains into the chest duct located on the left side. In its path the lymph transports proteins, glucose metabolites and waste products that are purified by the lymph nodes to be drained left side.

Derived from the above, it is common to infer in Eastern medicine that conditions on the left side of the body may be due to chronic congestion of the lymphatic system.

The priorities of the body.

According to ayurveda congestion happens in the body by following certain priorities. If the lymphatic system is co-managed, subsequently the liver and blood saturate with toxic substances. Primary symptoms of congestion appear on the left side of the body before moving to the right side where they appear later.

Tired after a meal?

Indian suggestion is that if you take a break after eating do it by lying on your left side. Break time should not exceed 10 minutes and is different from the afternoon nap which is usually 20 minutes or more.

Stomach and pancreas hang on to the left side. When you lie down on your left side both hang naturally allowing for optimal and efficient digestion.

Food is driven to move naturally through the stomach and pancreatic enzymes are secreted gradually and not in a single stroke, which happens if you lie down on the right side.

When you lie on your left side your liver and gallbladder hang from your right side. Resting on the left side allows them to hang and secret their precious enzymes into the digestive tract, emulsifying fats and neutralizing stomach acids.

When the digestive system is stimulated this way your digestive cycle is shorter and doesn’t leave you sluggish for the rest of the afternoon. Try resting 10 minutes on your left side after eating.

Feel energized and not tired after eating.

Try to eat in a relaxed way at midday and don’t forget to rest on your left side and check that you will feel more energetic and with better digestion.

The magic of sleeping on the left.

Best elimination.

The small intestine flushes toxins through the ileocecal valve (VIC) on the right side of the body at the onset of the large intestine. The large intestine travels down the right side of your body, crosses your abdomen and descends down the left side.

Through VIC, sleeping on the left side allows gravity to stimulate bodily waste into the large intestine from the small intestine more easily.

By going through the night and continuing to sleep on your left side the debris moves more easily toward the descending colon and morning removal will be easier.

Best heart function.

More than 80% of the heart is located on the left side of the body. If you sleep on the left side the lymph drained toward the heart will be driven by gravity by removing work from your heart while you sleep.

The aorta, which is the body’s largest artery, exits from the upper part of the heart and arches left before going down to the abdomen. When sleeping on the left side, the heart more easily pumps blood into the descending aorta.

Sleeping on the left side allows the intestines to move away from the cava vein that carries blood back to the heart. Remarkably the cava vein rests on the right side of the spine, so when you lie on the left side the viscera move away from the cava veen.

Again gravity makes heart work easier.

The splinter is on the left.

The spleen is part of the lymphatic system and is also on the left side of the body. Its function is that of a large lymph node that filters the lymph and additionally filters the blood. When you lie down on the left side the fluid return to the spleen is easier and occurs more easily by gravity.

The lymphatic system drains all cells in the body through contractions and muscle movement and not through the heart pumping. Helping the lymph drain into the spleen and heart with gravity is a simple way to purify your body

Give it a shot!

And while there are no scientific protocols to it, sleeping on the left side makes sense. Understanding ancestral wisdom based on knowledge of modern anatomy clears up many doubts about the reasons one has in the east to sleep a certain way.

BUT ABOVE ALL… “BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE”… Breathe Life and Healthy

“History is not history unless it is the truth.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

 

The metamorphosis of diabetes in the United States over the last 100 years is an interesting tale with several thieves of health participating in what seemingly feels like a collaborative effort to bring large populations of unsuspecting citizens to the feet of Big Pharma. Diabetes may happen in one of two main ways: the destruction of the beta cells within the pancreas (Type I), or a rising resistance within the body to insulin (Type II). For the sake of today’s history lesson, the focus will be on Type I diabetes, also called Juvenile diabetes or diabetes mellitus.

 

In 1920, diabetes in kiddos was quite uncommon, with an incidence of 3-4 per 100,000. In an eighty year span, by the year 2000, the incidence had risen to 3-4 per 1,000. Today, that number (1 in 250) is still continuing to rise. Interestingly, these stats do not include previously healthy adults who acquire Type I diabetes after the age of 20 (approximately 1.6 million adults ….. 5.7% of all US adults diagnosed with diabetes according to the CDC). I think you’ll agree that those numbers point to quite a crime spree where the theft of health is a decades long embezzlement scheme.

 

Let’s take a look at ringleaders and suspects.

Type I diabetes is quite different from Type II. Causes and contributors include:

Autoimmune dis-ease (nearly always toxin triggered)

A family history of Type I diabetes which predisposes offspring genetically to a greater likelihood of acquiring Type I when exposed to epigenetic (environmental) challenges that are known as possible triggers to the gene.

Toxins (found in food, drink, household chemicals, personal care items, and environmental chemicals)

Infection

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and childhood

Early childhood exposure to pasteurized homogenized cow’s milk and dairy products (a completely different food than raw cow’s milk)

Early childhood exposure to modern grain gluten sources, especially bleached white flour

Early childhood exposure to environmental chemicals found in foods (ex: glyphosate, nitrates and nitrites often found in processed meats)

Leaky gut syndrome (which leak what the body identifies as toxins into the rest of the body)

Vaccinations known to have the capability to trigger Type I diabetes. Multiple documented cases and studies implicate Pneumococcal, Hep B, Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (HIB), MMR, and Covid vaccines as causative agents. (A good resource to learn more about this is the book, Miller’s Review of Critical Vaccine Studies)

 

Did you catch the common theme? ….Toxin load.

White “all purpose” flour has a fascinating role in this crime vignette. “All purpose” white flour* is wheat that has been stripped of the bran and germ layers (the nutrient dense portion of wheat berries which happens to shorten the shelf life of flour when included as part of flour). The flour then is exposed to chlorine gas to make the slightly brown remaining starchy flour white. When chlorine gas is exposed to the pigments ( the color which makes it brownish in appearance) in wheat flour, a chemical reaction occurs producing a byproduct chemical called alloxan. You won’t find alloxan on any ingredient list on breads or packaged foods because technically, it’s not an added ingredient. Alloxan is a toxin and known carcinogen. It also has a strong affinity for the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. That’s rather unfortunate as it causes cellular death of the beta cells. When enough beta cells have died due to constant exposure to the white flour containing foods, insulin production decreases and ultimately risks stopping completely. The Textbook of Natural Medicine calls alloxan a “potent beta-cell toxin”. ( No kidding. It’s commonly used in clinical trials to induce diabetes in lab animals.) The textbook, Comprehensive Medicinal Chemistry II states:

“Alloxan, a pyrimidine structurally similar to glucose and uric acid, directly disrupts β-cell membrane permeability and produces irreversible β-cell damage within 12 h in most animals. “

 

Now, here’s the interesting history lesson: Flour was not bleached commercially until sometime after 1912. A good man by the name of Dr. Harvey Wiley MD was head of the Bureau of Chemistry (a precursor to the FDA) from 1908-1912. Dr. Wiley was a proponent of whole unprocessed foods, and he fought against bleached flour ( as well as benzoic acid, sulfites, saccharin, and other food additives) all the way to Capitol Hill by way of Congressional hearings. He ultimately left his position in 1912 in frustration and disgust, and later wrote a book in 1929 entitled “The History of A Crime Against The Food Law”. The government, in its wisdom , replaced Dr. Wiley with a Dr. Elmer Nelson, who was the antithesis of Wiley. Nelson was quoted as saying,

“It is wholly unscientific to state that a well-fed body is more able to resist disease than a poorly fed body. My overall opinion is that there hasn’t been enough experimentation to prove that dietary deficiencies make one susceptible to disease.”

 

In my opinion, Nelson was either unbelievably ignorant or a shill. It is interesting to note that prior to working for the FDA, Dr. Nelson worked for the Soft Wheat Millers Association. Ground wheat will actually whiten on its own without the dangerous alloxan byproduct if given the proper time (a month or two) and environment to do so, but time is money to the Soft Wheat Millers of America, and it helps to have friends in high places.

 

Long story short, modern wheat, with its crazy high gluten content, additionally weaponized with probable alloxan content, and sprayed with glyphosates and other agricultural toxins would be high on the list of suspects for creating mischief within the pancreas.

 

I know. It’s not fun to think about doing without breads, pastries, cereal, spaghetti, waffles, and pancakes to avoid high gluten content and pancreas damaging alloxan. Thankfully, Gary Young had the foresight to make available food products which contain the much healthier unbleached ancient grain einkorn. Young Living’s Einkorn Flour, Einkorn Granola, Einkorn Spaghetti, Einkorn Rotini Pasta, Einkorn Pancake and Waffle Mix, Einkorn Flakes Cereal, and (when in season) Einkorn (unground) Berries if, like me, you like to grind your own wheat. Whew! I was starting to feel a little like Bubba Gump going through that lineup available to us! Einkorn bakes a little differently than the bleached white stuff you may be used to, so they’ve even conveniently created an Einkorn cookbook (created by Heidi Ellis)! In it, are 80+ recipes for pizza dough, breads, cakes, crackers, tortillas and more. If you haven’t tried einkorn products, you are in for a treat….. They are far more flavorful than those made with bland unhealthy white flour. For those who must completely abstain from any form of gluten, Young Living also has a Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle Mix (sadly, it is currently out of stock), but there are many other healthy flour options to choose from in the marketplace: coconut, almond, oat, brown rice, amaranth, and chickpea are all good options.

One of the most valuable things we can give ourselves is empowered knowledge so that we can make informed decisions on what we choose to allow into our personal homes and bodies. Many of the causative agents listed above can be avoided, decreasing the odds of developing Type I diabetes and other dis-eases.

The second most valuable thing we can give ourselves is grace (without guilt) to do better once we know what we didn’t know before. We can’t know everything, and digging for factual information that is purposefully hidden (and frequently out of print) can be hard, confusing, and frustrating. Don’t think for a minute that making it hard to find truth isn’t done to us on purpose. Understanding the true history of “us” is important to our health, so we can learn, do better, and avoid the lure of purposefully addictive foods created by industries (both food and Big Pharma) that have profit over purpose as its primary goal.

 

Other ways to create a body environment for decreased risk of developing diabetes include:

Knowing levels of Vitamin D, and supplementing accordingly. Shoot for lab values 70-90 ng/mL. This is an important number to know during pregnancy, and frankly a valuable thing to know throughout life, even for infants and children. Depending on how much supplementing is needed, Young Living’s Super D may be enough for some adults and older children, while others may need a much higher dose (D3/K2) to maintain healthy levels.

Avoid nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines (often found in packaged meats)

Include cod liver oil in your supplement regimen. It’s available in liquid and capsule form.

Breastfeeding has been found to decrease the risk of Type I diabetes in children. Exposing babies in a delayed fashion to common suspect food triggers is also helpful.

Providing a solid source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids is also helpful. Young Living’s MindWise is a good liquid option for kids and is also helpful support for brain health and development. OmegaGize3 is another excellent option (for adults) in capsule form.

Strive for a diverse gut microbiome. People with Type I diabetes tend to have a less diverse gut microbiota. Use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary. According to the CDC, at least 30% of antibiotics prescribed are unnecessary. I personally believe that number is even higher. Not only does excessive antibiotic use breed antibiotic resistance, it has a profound negative effect on the gut microbiome.

Make a regular healthy source of antioxidants part of your daily routine to help offset the oxidative damage done to the beta cells in the pancreas. NingXia Red is an ideal option for all ages. The Young Living website gives an easily understandable explanation:

“Antioxidants, why are they important? They are the antidote to oxidative stress! …..Oxidation has been implicated in the origin of more than 100 human diseases and in the aging process.”

Einkorn and NingXia Red….. healthy and healing food options. Over 2400 years ago, Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Good food is good medicine, with the ability to both protect and heal.

xoxo~ liz

 

This is the first mainstream article I’ve seen that scientifically identifies micro-clotting as a primary root cause of long haulers (people in the alternative health community have been talking about it amongst ourselves for several months now). It’s good to know my personal theory is validated by “science officials” and that the non Big Pharma measures I’ve been suggesting to my clients are on point. Note too, the long haulers symptoms are also being seen in some who have opted to partake in the great experiment.

Long term subclinical oxygen and nutrient deprivation causes the body to recognize subclinical starvation and asphyxiation, and respond accordingly. Microclotting is happening at the capillary level which is where carbon dioxide, toxins, and other “trash” are exchanged for oxygen and nutrients. Now imagine what might happen long term as the toxin load builds while oxygen and nutrients are withheld: fatigue, headaches, anxiety, depression, (even occasional borderline psychosis), brain fog, blood pressure swings and more. It’s like the streets of NYC when there’s a garbage strike!

 

You can read more about this here: https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.ada0536

(For the record, I personally believe this is a much more common problem than what the author of this article states. I’m thankful information like this is finally making it into print so people can learn and begin connecting the dots. )

 

xoxo~ liz

 

(PS: totally off topic, but our 6th round of Biblical Citizenship classes start tonight at 6:30pm CST. If you’d like to know more about the Constitution and how our role as Christians in society has been altered from original intent, we’d love to have you join us! Message me, and I’ll hook you up. It’s a ZOOM call…. 90 minutes a week for 8 weeks will change your world! )

Note that they are orderable Sept 1st… and on Shop orders only (not an item for our Subscription box).

 

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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