Preventive Health & Root-Cause Medicine

One of my most favorite things about wintertime is grapefruit! I was prepping my breakfast this morning and I felt a surge of gratitude that I could eat something that I loved so much. I know…. it probably sounds weird.  But way back when…. about 20 years ago, grapefruit suddenly landed on my ‘no no’ food list. That list became a very significant part of my life for about 12 years.

I think I was 33 when I started having peeing problems (sorry if that’s TMI!… just being real here). I simply felt like I had to pee all. the. time…… but especially at night. There were nights I probably got up 8-9 times to go to the bathroom. Doctors ruled out infection and said I simply had an overactive bladder. How does this even happen? I mean, how does one simply ‘acquire’ an overactive bladder? I wasn’t that old…. and had never had any children (both risk factors). We tried a few medications to limit the frequent trips. Pharmaceutical fail. The side effects of dry eyes, dry mouth, blurred vision, and dizziness and drowsiness were not a good trade off for the minor decrease in the number of trips to the bathroom at night. Just when I was approaching my wit’s end, I went to another doctor who finally gave me a definitive diagnosis: Interstitial Cystitis.

If you’ve never heard of IC, here is a short clip from the TV talk show, Drs as a way of explanation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mzAQgQaauM

IC is a beast. I was relatively fortunate…. and only had the urge to pee with ungodly frequency. Many other women have IC much worse, and the urge is accompanied by pain. The medications used are modestly effective at best, and have an impressive list of side effects. Daily self catheterization, surgical procedures, and even cystectomy (bladder removal) are also treatment plan options. My doctor was ahead of her time 2 decades ago. She recommended that I start a very restrictive diet as a means of helping control the urge to pee. I literally began the diet with a menu that consisted of 4 foods…… slowly adding one food at a time back into my life. Looking back, I realize that as awful as this diagnosis may sound, it was thru this that I was given the gift of culinary discernment and the ability to read even minute clues within my body based on how my bladder reacted to what I had eaten earlier in the day.

Here’s a sampling of my crazy ‘no no’ list: most citrus (except blood oranges, which are lower in acid and seemed to be okay for me), pineapple fresh or canned (but it’s ok to eat pineapple if I am actually in the country of origin), onions, peanut butter that had hydrogenated oils (natural was ok), food with dyes, fried foods, spicy food, tomatoes (unless they were yellow… also lower in acid), coffee, many over the counter medications…. the list went on….. but the biggie: processed foods. Those were like a lightning bolt to my bladder.

I learned that getting dehydrated definitely made things worse (and so I became a dedicated water drinker…. another blessing in disguise). I also learned that stress made an awful companion to a temperamental bladder, and have learned ways to mitigate stress. It was many years later that I actually learned I had inadvertently joined the ranks of 1 in 5 adults….. I had an autoimmune disorder.

I talk about this from time to time with people. Our bodies are like buckets and toxins drip slowly into that bucket on a daily basis from the moment we wake up til the time our head hits the pillow at night. And then, if you are an air freshener girl or guy (like I was), you’re lucky enough to be adding those toxins to your body even while you sleep. (Throw those plug-ins away and get yourself a diffuser and some toxin free oils… I promise you, your home and office space will smell awesome, AND you’ll be deriving therapeutic benefits instead of being slowly poisoned to death).  Once that toxin bucket is filled and begins overflowing, well that’s when the trouble really starts…. and you get diagnosed with something fun like IC, or a host of other autoimmune disorders. Which autoimmune disorder you get usually depends on which part of your body is the weakest. In my case, it was my bladder.

My diagnosis of IC set my future in motion in ways I’m ever grateful for. IC became my dietary enforcer. I mean, who wants to eat something that will make them pee every 30 minutes ad infinitum? I also came to realize that being surrounded by chemicals (even basic skin care products) didn’t help the situation at all, so we began switching to nontoxic alternatives. My toxin bucket was clearly full and overflowing given the evidence my bladder had coughed up. It was a slow process…. this detoxing our lives….. and I’m not going to lie….it’s still an ongoing process. We are picky about where we eat (is the food freshly prepared, and preferably organic?), and we are picky about what we are willing to expose ourselves to. Do I fail? Oh yes. I’m not anywhere near perfect. I still have a hard time resisting Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (the peanut butter in them are of the devil as far as my bladder is concerned). But falling off the wagon will nearly always guarantee me the need to pee often and with urgency…so it’s usually not worth it.

I’m not saying it will work for everyone with an autoimmune disorder, but think about this…… If one in five of us are so sensitive to toxins that our bodies begin revolting in whatever unique manner it chooses to…….. why in the world wouldn’t you want to minimize the exposure to those toxins simply so that your life would be less complicated, less painful, and even less embarrassing? (I’ve had some truly embarrassing moments. Trust me.)

Fast forward to 3 years ago. The cleaner my personal environment got, and the more balanced my body became with essential nutrients,  the calmer my bladder became. Just like a pesky sibling, I know exactly how to rile my bladder up and can do it in a New York minute, but why would I? Most of the time, when I do suffer with IC these days, it’s because I did something stupid. I got dehydrated. I got careless with food. I allowed myself to become stressed out.

Today, my bladder is a fairly normal organ. Yes, I still have IC and I probably always will. But I have healed considerably. I still have a ‘no no’ list of foods that will set my bladder off, but take a look at it now: processed foods (anything with a chemical component) and coffee. My bladder….. sensitive little creature that it is, can usually even tell the difference between what is organic and what is not. And really…. you gotta respect that in an organ :).

Grapefruit…. it’s what’s for breakfast! I am grateful indeed.

​Hugs and love~ Liz

I really never gave too much thought about carrier oils until recently. My standby has always been fractionated coconut oil. Coconut oil can be great for certain skin types, and I’ve just never felt the need to venture beyond FCO….. until recently. Oh sure, I’ve dabbled here and there…. stepping out on my old friend, but always coming back home to my tried and true love. I was well aware of carrier oils for skin types (see above), but did you know that…. just like essential oils…. carrier oils have attributes that support and affect body systems beyond the integumentary system/skin?

Y’all know the difference, right? A carrier oil is a fatty oil base. They can go rancid over time and although they may have some health benefits, carrier oils generally don’t hold a candle to those benefits seen with Essential Oils. Essential oils, on the other hand, are not fat based…. nor do they feel oily. With the exception of the cold pressed citrus oils, they have an incredibly long shelf life (provided they are cared for properly). Essential oils can be diluted with carrier oils without affecting their effects on our body. 

Young Living Essential Oils help support virtually every single body system. We typically choose which oils we are going to diffuse, apply, or ingest according to the body system we wish to support. We may or may not use a carrier oil along with our oils depending on personal choice. Regardless of which carrier oil you choose to use, begin with these tenants:

1. Use organic whenever possible.
2. Never use mineral oil or petrolatum or petroleum jelly as a carrier. They clog pores and are toxins themselves (made from petroleum). Additionally, they prevent toxins within us from escaping, and will prevent essential oils from being absorbed into the skin.
3. Be very wary of using a cosmetic or commercial skin care product as a carrier for your essential oils. Rashes and adverse reactions have occurred when combining the two. Remember, nearly all mainstream skin care products contain toxins themselves, and the mixture of both good (essential oils) and bad (that skin care product) may not end well.

However, there are some distinct benefits to using carrier oils with your essential oils:
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• Hot oils (ex: Thieves, Lemongrass, Cinnamon Bark) can feel just that…. HOT….. if applied undiluted.
• Diluting your oils with a carrier oil definitely gives you more bang for your buck. We should ALL be frugal oilers… a little goes a long way, and our oils are a precious commodity.
• Adding a carrier oil to your essential oil can, in effect, create an ‘extended release’ component to your essential oil. Most of our essential oils are volatile. This means that they are released into the air fairly rapidly. What is not absorbed into the skin becomes airborne. The addition of a carrier oil to your essential oil will increase both the amount of oil that is absorbed into your skin AND the duration that the absorption takes place. This is a good thing!
• Many carrier oils can act synergistically with essential oils. Whoa. Really?

Yep. Here are a few examples:

• Coconut Oil – This oil is well known as the ‘go to’ for hair care and skin care when used topically, but did you also know that when ingested, this oil is also very supportive of the cardiovascular system, helps balance blood sugar, strengthens the immune system, and is helpful in dental care? For real!
• Jojoba Oil-   This is an ‘external use’ only carrier oil that most closely resembles human sebum (the waxy substance produced by glands in our skin) making it one of the best moisturizing carrier oils available.  It comes from the seeds of the Jojoba tree. Jojoba oil is also known for its antifungal properties, making it exceptionally well paired with Tea Tree oil.  It can be used as a natural makeup remover or as a moisturizer for cracked feet and hands.
• Sweet Almond Oil- Really, any of the tree nut oils (Walnut, Almond, Pecan, etc) make amazing oil and vinegar salad dressing bases (especially when paired with lemon, basil, marjoram, oregano, and thyme oils), but you can use this oil topically too! It has been found to be helpful in repairing damage to collagen within the skin. When ingested, it may help limit inflammation and promote vascular health. Sweet Almond Oil also gets bonus points for being high in vitamins E and K.

If you are curious about a specific carrier oil, do a little research. You may get more than you bargained for (and I mean that in a really good way!).

Young Living has a complete line of carrier oils too, available in 8 oz bottles.  Each one is a synergistic blend of carrier oils and essential oils designed for a specific purpose. (You will want to read the ingredients closely if you happen to have a sensitivity to a particular oil.) 

• V-6: a general all purpose topical oil blend containing Coconut, Sesame, Grape Seed, Sweet Almond, Sunflower, and Olive oils.
• Ortho Ease–: a muscle and joint blend of carrier oils that also contain wintergreen, juniper, marjoram, eucalyptus radiata, and peppermint.
• Ortho Sport:– a slightly more intense muscle and joint blend of carrier oils that also contain wintergreen, peppermint, thyme, eucalyptus globulous and oregano.
• Cel-Lite:– a great firming and toning carrier oil blend that also incorporates the benefits of grapefruit, cedarwood, and juniper. I love to use this one on my thighs and hips when I get out of the shower!
• Dragon Time: a carrier oil blend designed for balancing emotions (ie: calming your inner dragon!). This carrier oil is designed for women and also contains lavender, ylang ylang, jasmine, fennel and clary sage.
• Relaxation–: if you are looking for a relaxing carrier oil blend, this is it. While it does contain lavender, spearmint, coriander, bergamot, and tangerine, feel free to add any additional oils if needed. This is a great blend to massage on little feet right before bedtime :).
• Sensation: oooo la la! This carrier oil blend is created for romance and love. It can be applied anywhere…. (I will leave that up to your imagination). It does not disappoint. In addition to the base oils, this carrier oil blend also contains ylang ylang, bergamot, jasmine, and geranium.

Do any of these carrier oils tickle your fancy? Give one of them a try and let me know what you think.

If you are an oil carrying aficionado, I would encourage you to also keep a small bottle of carrier oil on hand to dilute in the unfortunate circumstance that you get an oil in your eye. Should that ever happen, don’t flush with water (it will only make it worse). Instead use a little carrier oil in the corner of your eye to immediately dilute the offending essential oil. If you failed to heed my advice and have no carrier oil on hand, simply use any fatty substance (butter, milk, or even a piece of bacon fat!) in place of the carrier oil. I hope you never need this piece of info, but if this has never happened to you, you’ve simply not used oils long enough!

Take care, and have a blessed September day!
Liz

Yowsers! We have figs. In fact, we have a disproportionate amount of figs. We have figs coming out our ears all from one very happy (but unknown species) tree.

We planted the little gal (there are male and female plants…. the girls being the producers) about 7 or 8 years ago, and it got off to a very rocky start…. multiple times. Every winter it appeared to die back to the brink of true death until two years ago. Last year we got spoiled by simply eating all we wanted off of the tree. There were enough to pick and eat daily, but not enough to make anything with. This year, the stars must have been lined up right because we have whopper crop this year. I’ve had to get on the ball and start collecting fig recipes. There are some amazing ones out there! 

I’ve found this collection at BonAppetit (the figs with bacon and chile is on my ‘to do’ list… Wow… I’ll bet those flavors pop!)

I found a ‘cheeky chilli pepper fig chutney‘ ….. you know anything chef Jamie Oliver puts together is going to be good. My dear friends Aryanne and Martin gave us one of Jamie’s cookbooks several years back. The man knows how to use his ingredients, no question about it. I love that he focuses on using fresh ingredients and prefers seasonal cooking (cooking with what is available at the appropriate season of harvest). I do think that was God’s intention anyway. We were never supposed to eat the same thing 365 days a year like we are prone to do now. It’s probably one of the reasons  the standard American diet is typically out of control and obesity and other body system dysfunctions continue to plague our country. If it’s not fresh, it’s likely filled with preservatives and other chemicals to make it taste more appealing.

And finally…. a ‘pear-fig-ginger-jam (with ahem… a dash of whiskey)‘ that we’re gonna have to try. That sounds like it would be incredible over a block of yogurt cream cheese (labnah) or cream cheese with some crackers.

Figs are a food of the Bible, and are loaded chock full of health benefits. God is good that way… giving us just what we need.  Dried figs… the most common way people eat chem…. are even more densely loaded with nutrients than fresh. Although I like to eat them both ways, fresh from the tree is my preferred route of nourishment.

The Fig low down:

• high in fiber
• great source of magnesium, manganese, copper, potassium, and calcium (1 dried fig = the calcium in an egg!)
• rich in vitamin K and B6
• contain powerful antioxidants that neutralize disease and dysfunction causing free radicals ( just like some oils I know, love, and use!)
• According to Dr. Mercola’s website figs have some other more unusual uses too… ” Traditional medicine around the world has made use of figs as poultices on tumors, warts, and wounds. The fruit and leaves have been pulverized and gargled to relieve sore throats. Fig extracts and dried figs have been found to contain ingredients that protect the heart, regulate kidney and liver functions, lower blood pressure, lower incidences of macular degeneration, and inhibit some cancers, specifically post menopausal breast cancer.”  Holy smokes Figman…. my cornucopia of wellness tools just got a little fuller!

Any of my local friends want some figs?  Give me a shout and this farmgirl can hook you up!

Take care, and have a blessed day,
​liz

More than 15 years ago, we made the decision to begin drinking raw milk. You can learn more about that journey in the category “My Story”. It was not a decision we took lightly, and I literally did over 100 hours of research before embarking on this new path.

I know. I can see the smile on some of your faces, and I can see the nose wrinkling in disgust on others. Raw milk seems to divide foodies, nutritionists, medical professionals the way God divided the Red Sea for Moses.

I never gave milk much thought thru my early 30’s. It came from the grocery store, and we consumed it like many people do. I knew people with ‘lactose intolerance’ and felt remotely sorry for them… not because they couldn’t enjoy milk, but because they also didn’t get to enjoy ice cream, yogurt, and cheese. Yes, I’ve been a dairy lover my whole life. It’s likely the reason my cholesterol started rising in my early 30’s.

Cholesterol and Osteopenia were the driving force behind our introduction to raw milk. It was suggested to me after my diagnosis of both. Being the bookworm researcher that I am, I promptly went out and bought a few books:

The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmid, ND (Foreward by Sally Fallon of Weston A Price fame)

The Milk Book by Dr. William Campbell Douglass  (an easier read, not quite as detailed)

I have to say that The Untold Story of Milk was likely the catalyst that changed the course of my life. It completely revealed true nutrition and wellness in ways I never found in college.

I want to leave you with a few thoughts:
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• Be open to learning about the other side of this topic. The dairy industry is just that… an industry. They will do whatever they need to do to sell their commodity. Theirs is the reason milk is both pasteurized and homogenized. Factual information about Raw Milk shakes things up in the ADA (American Dairy Assoc) world.
• True lactose intolerance is more uncommon than you would think. Milk from the grocery store is not the original milk. It has been manipulated and manufactured. Real milk is a light yellow color (see pics above). It is not blue-white or grey-white as you find it in cartons. There is a reason for that: additives. In my experience on our farm, I have had ZERO lactose intolerance at our kitchen counter when serving a class of milk to someone who has been told they are lactose intolerant. If you think you are… or have been told you are…. I’d encourage you to give raw milk a try (organic and raw are not synonymous). We do not sell our milk… it is for personal use, but I can direct you to sources who do sell to the public.
• Healing can occur with healthy foods. This happened to me, and it’s happened to other people I know. My cholesterol levels are awesome, and so are my husband’s. The same can be said for my bone density.
• I hear people say that milk was not designed to be consumed by adults. Only babies…. and the humans are the only species who do this. Humans are also the only animals with opposable thumbs (barring other primates), and I’d like to think that space and ocean exploration among other things are human unique events too. Maybe we’ve been drinking it all these eons because some wise guy in biblical times figured out that the land of Milk and Honey actually meant nutrition the way God intended! It may also be because I think it would be darn near impossible to hand milk without thumbs 

​To each his own, but I’d encourage you all to have an open mind. Do a little research… and give raw milk a try. It has the flavor of mildly sweet melted vanilla ice cream.

Good morning friends,

I saw an article this morning, and wanted to share it . Here are a few excerpts from the study referenced:

“Investigators led by Caroline Wallace, PhD candidate, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, found that symptoms of mood, anhedonia, and sleep disturbance were significantly reduced with probiotic therapy after just 4 weeks, with results maintained at 8 weeks.

The findings are of particular interest because probiotics are not associated with any of the adverse effects of current antidepressant therapies and can be safely taken over long periods.

These results, the investigators note, “suggest that probiotics may be effective in alleviating depressive symptoms such as mood, anhedonia, and sleep quality.”

Our gut is just so dang important for our overall body health…. not just physically, but also emotionally. Antidepressants are among the top three medication classes prescribed by doctors. I can verify that as a pharmacist. While antidepressants are not addictive, they do have the ability to completely change the wiring in your brain, making them very difficult to discontinue. I’ve been told by more than one patient that being on an antidepressant is like experiencing your world thru a filtered lens. Everything is muted, and while you may have muted depressed emotions, you will also find you have muted joy and pleasure.  And yet, for mild to moderate depression, doctors offer this alternative over suggesting non-prescription remedies first.

As we age or assault our gut with diet, antibiotics and household toxins, the good bacteria in our gut can’t maintain their healthy colony size……and, I’ve read that some of these little beasties (the Bifidobacterium strains specifically) really start to struggle when we’ve reached ‘a certain age’, leading to (among other things) anxiety, depression, and sleepless nights…. all things the elderly (or those with a gut issues) can struggle with.

Sadly, almost no insurance pays for probiotics. Such a simple aid for such a widespread problem!……Just one more aspect of our broken healthcare system here in the USA.

Not all probiotics are created equal, and there are hundreds of brands on the market. Among the many I have researched, there are only a few brands I would recommend. The reasons are diverse: packaging (not protective enough), strains (not diverse enough), quantity (not enough colony forming units to make much of an impact), release mechanism (releasing directly into the stomach is a death sentence for these beasties)….. the list goes on.

While you can be thrifty and bargain shop for many things, probiotics is not one of them. In this case, you truly do get what you pay for. The best ones aren’t cheap; you can expect to pay about 25-30$/month. Even then, purchasing a pricey probiotic  does not mean all the criteria above will be met. A close dissection and understanding of the label is very important.

I know…. that sounds like a lot of money, but at 300-400$ per year, it is a darn cheap way to invest in your life, your health, and your emotional balance. I know people who spend that much on designer coffee and fast food each month (to the detriment of their health). We all have choices to make in life.

One of the things I love and respect about Young Living (the company I do business with and endorse) is their ability to simplify my life. I really appreciate that their products do not require ‘label dissection’ (that was a game changer and time saver for me). All of them. Clean. Pure. Unadulterated. Researched & developed with attention to the minutia of detail….. making this pharm/farm girl one happy camper.

Ya’ll take care and have a blessed day!

Liz

​(Oh, and yes…. this picture has nothing to do with this article…. even tho these thistles are terrible weeds, I still thought it was a pretty thing ;). I love finding beauty in the everyday-ness out here.)