Preventive Health & Root-Cause Medicine

I always have fun guessing at the theme of the monthly promos… if I was going to put a name to it, I’d give it an acronym, SSRI . The pharmacist in me just had a belly laugh (look up SSRI, and you’ll see what I mean as you read )

In our little world for the month of August, SSRI means free products that are all about:

Scrubbing

Skin care

Relaxation

and Invigorating!

 

1. Free Loyalty Reward points…. I’m completely invigorated any time I can save money on something I buy regularly. Who doesn’t love to save money? Guys and gals, if you are not using the Loyalty reward opportunity, you are missing out. Identify where you want to improve in your health life, and when you purchase healthy products (oils, supplements, skin care, non toxic household cleaner, cosmetics, snacks, etc), you receive points that are literally money in your pocket for more free products. In the current recession/inflation state we are in economically, there are two things that are important: staying healthy and saving money! None of us can afford not to do both.

 

2. Eucalyptus Globulous…. one of my favorite scents because it smells like a spa….. fresh, clean, and invigorating. Eucalyptus is an interesting tree…. the Australian Aborigines are masterful healers using the tools available to them in nature. They use the leaves of the eucalyptus trees as wound cover because of its disinfecting properties. Maybe a few drops of this beautiful oil in a spray bottle (mix with water and a little witch hazel or vodka as a clean alcohol base), and you’ve got a good, clean smelling spray for stinky shoes, exercise equipment, etc. Bonus points…. it’s very handy as a bug repellant. Eucalyptus trees have been planted strategically in parts of North Africa to successfully block the spread of malaria in those areas. It’s a little too early for cold and flu season, but don’t forget it’s on your shelf when that time rolls around…. Dilute with a carrier oil and apply to chest and bottoms of feet for congestion relief!

 

3.Patchouli is a member of the mint family, though it definitely doesn’t smell like peppermint or spearmint! It has an earthy smell to it. Interestingly, patchouli is the only essential oil whose fragrance improves as it ages, and it is a common additive in $100+ commercial perfumes. (Please, for the love of your health, learn to mix your own perfumes and colognes….. I can help you do this. Commercial perfumes are LOADED with endocrine disruptors ) Patchouli has many health benefits…. regarding that SSRI reference, did you know that there have been many interesting studies examining patchouli’s effects on both the dopamine and serotonin? Here are links to two of them: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35631434/ and https://iopscience.iop.org/…/1742-6596/1321/2/022039/pdf . Patchpuli also has a history of benefitting the skin. I often add a few drops to my DIY face serum recipe… remember…. what you put on your skin has a direct effect throughout your body! Same with diffusing… things happen . Patchouli pairs well with lavender, orange, cedarwood, lemon, grapefruit, rose, ylang ylang, sandalwood (and many more!)

 

4. Charcoal Mask….. have you tried this yet? Well, now’s your chance for free! Charcoal is a magnificent detoxifier, and a great way to soak up extra oil and exfoliate skin. (Word of caution… don’t apply to sunburned skin!). Other things we’ve used this mask for….. as a pit paste detox. If you’ve got stinky pits, it’s past time to work on detoxification. That’s your body speaking to you in it’s outside voice . A little dab on acne spots, and even a dab on bug stings and bites works well!

 

5. Satin Facial Scrub….. This face scrub feels sooooooo good on the skin. Peppy and invigorating. Have you tried it yet? It gently exfoliates and leaves my face tingly and fresh!

 

6. Thieves Kitchen and Bath Scrub. Honestly….. they should have called this the “Everything Scrub”. I’ve even had good luck using it on some hard to treat stains on laundry, on hubcaps, and outdoors on concrete stains (Thank you Kristine Lucius for that suggestion!) . It rapidly became a fast favorite for many of us when it was introduced a year or so ago. It’s powerful but also gentle (and of course, completely nontoxic!).

 

7. Super B! If you know…. you know. Young Living has so many natural energy enhancers, and Super B is one of those. I was talking to a friend a few days ago, and we were talking about the two things people complain about the most…… lack of sleep and lack of energy. Ha! They go hand in hand, right? On the months that Super B isn’t free, this is a fantastic and economical way to get a healthy energy boost in your day. Chronic stress contributes to the depletion of B vitamins in our body, and unless you are an extraordinarily conscientious eater, there’s a decent likelihood your B load is subpar. Additionally, we need B’s for helping regulate blood sugar, nervous system function, hormone production, energy production, and more. Bonus points for also containing small amounts selenium and zinc, two necessary trace minerals needed for a healthy immune system, pancreas and thyroid function.

 

Has one or more of these items already rocked your world? Please share your favorite story so we can learn from one another!

Have a beautiful and healthy Monday!

(PS: Not familiar with the Loyalty Rewards program? Message me for more info!)

xoxo~ liz

 

(Join the health journey! https://yl.pe/beablessing)

 

“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:

 

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

 

 

 

 

(…..and who knew that smelling the scent of a rose while learning and at night before a test boosts test taking performance! )

 

What are you sniffing today that keeps you grounded and happy? For me, happiness smells like horse and cow manure (I know!), snickerdoodles, and Young Living’s essential oil blend Sacred Mountain.

 

Have a thought filled Thursday friends!

xoxo~ liz

 

( link to Sacred Mountain… or ask to smell it next time you see me in person…. I’m likely wearing it or carrying it! https://www.youngliving.com/…/sacred-mountain-essential… )

 

We women are complicated. (Alrighty men…. I can hear your “amens” from here! ). Truly though, it’s better that we just clear the air and state the truth. We.ARE.complicated! All throughout the body and endocrine system, clues are not generally gender specific… until now. Guys, this would be a good time to retreat to your man cave, unless of course you’d like to know a little more about the inner workings of your gal!

 

One of the most eye opening eras in my pharmacy career happened about 10 years ago. Someone very close to me came to the brink of suicide, and almost did not live through it. The growing signs of distress had been going on for years, and while I was starting to suspect a hormonal imbalance, I didn’t yet know enough outside the realm of western medicine to help her ask the questions that needed to be asked of her medical providers, or to request the labs that would ultimately reveal the root causes of her despair. Certainly, she had stress going on in her life too, and so the doctors gave her prescriptions for depression, anxiety, and sleep. All of the “blame” was laid on stress and emotional angst, and no digging for the root cause was ever done, until it was literally almost too late. It took a functional medicine team skilled in mind, body and spirit repair in a crisis situation to discover her imbalance in thyroid and sex hormones, as well as nutritional deficiencies, gut dysbiosis, and an inefficient immune system, all of which contributed to the direness of the situation. Frankly, if she had ended up in the hands of standard western medicine, I doubt she would still be alive. It took many many months for the body and mind to heal with the help of these skilled professionals.

 

Approximately 18% of all adult women in the USA take antidepressants, and 10% use anti anxiety medications. This number is roughly double that seen in men. While there are assuredly socio economic factors which come into play, the waxing and waning monthly rhythm of our environmentally influenced hormones are the largest reason women reach for a prescription bottle of any kind. Western medicine has failed women terribly by using these medications as bandaids for a body that has lost its balance.

 

After this event, I began researching women’s health in earnest….. looking for the reasons so many women had fallen between the cracks of healing care and seeking alternative wellness tools western medicine has chosen to overlook. As I filled new prescriptions for women recently diagnosed with depression or anxiety, I would ask if they had also been given orders for lab work prior to receiving their prescription for one (or more) of these medications. Shockingly, it was a rare woman who said that they had. Thorough (and I emphasize the word thorough!) lab work and subsequent (thorough!) analysis is key to circumventing the adverse effects of hormone imbalance. Those results are hard data which affirms the clues your body is giving you. One of the beauties of a woman’s menstrual cycle is that it is truly a monthly report card reflecting a woman’s health. Normal monthly cycles should not be felt to the extreme, either emotionally or physically. If they are, the body is waving a flag. As with men, endocrine disruption is a real and enormous problem to our individual and collective health. In women, endocrine disruption affects the reproductive cycle in ways that become “diagnoses”, which then often result in pharmaceutical bandaids that ultimately lead to secondary problems.

Endocrine disruption commonly results in something called estrogen dominance. It is the result of excessive estrogen production (and incoming estrogen like toxins from the environment), not enough progesterone produced by the ovaries or a combination of both issues. As with men (and children!), endocrine disruption happens quietly on little cat’s feet through small “daily dose” exposure to toxins found in plastic water bottles and food containers, pesticides, petroleum based products, soaps, body care products, commercial air fresheners, foods that have been exposed to hormones and many more. Estrogen dominance can also be aggravated by excessive body fat, chronic stress, and impaired gut and liver function.

 

More rapidly aging skin

Aggravation of allergies and asthma (abnormally high levels of estrogen affects the body’s immune response)

Nipple tenderness, especially prior to periods

Hair thinning or hair loss

Body fat gains around the midsection, creating an “apple” or “pear” shaped torso. (Note that “apple shaped” weight gain can be a clue of possible PCOS in addition to estrogen dominance). Additional PCOS clues include abnormal body hair growth, insulin resistance, and darkened skin in the folds of the neck and armpits.

Mood swings

Headaches and migraines (estrogen dominance is one of the most common causes of headaches in women)

Irregular periods (may be light, heavy, or irregular in timing)

Water retention and bloating

A sluggish metabolism

Skin tags

PMS

Uterine fibroids

Decreased libido

Vaginal dryness

Endometrial hyperplasia – caused by too much estrogen or not enough progesterone, or a combination of both. Left unaddressed, it may lead to cancer.

Long term, unmitigated estrogen dominance contributes to:

Hormonal cancers (breast, endometrial and uterine and prostate in men)

Infertility – Infertility currently affects more than 10% of women in the US of childbearing potential.

Adenomyosis

Cervical dysplasia

Lupus, Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune diseases – sharp fluctuations of estrogen as is seen around childbirth and menopause appear to contribute to autoimmune disorders.

Candida overgrowth

Osteoporosis and osteopenia

Gallbladder disease

Fibrocystic breasts

Thyroid dysfunction

Dementia and decreased brain function

Dry eyes

Insomnia

 

Estrogen dominance is no laughing matter, and is arguably one of the biggest health concerns (and clues) of our time. Heavens! This alone is reason enough to make the safe, health supportive, and effective Young Living essential oils (and diffusers), body care products, and the entire Thieves Household cleaning products line standard wellness tools in every home! I often get asked “where do I start” in my wellness journey. The answer is here. Today! … begin detoxing your home and personal world if you haven’t already.

Oddly, one of the biggest contributors to our estrogen dominant selves is rarely talked about. It directly affects nearly 2/3rds of women of childbearing years in the USA, and indirectly affects the rest of us as it is flushed daily into the nation’s water supply.

 

Are birth control pills as safe as we’ve been led to believe? That’s the next clue. Tell the guys to continue cleaning their guns and watching football…. We’ve got a bit more to chat about!

 

xoxo~ liz