Virus & Bacteria

The Curious Case of Covid and the Shrinking Brain

Liz James · March 16, 2022 ·

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xoxo~ liz

Clues to Thyroid Health from Iodine – part 1

Liz James · March 9, 2022 ·

Dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s: Iodine and Thyroid Part I

We all know that iodine is a necessary micronutrient and plays an important role in the health of the thyroid. I’m pretty confident that getting to know your individual iodine level (as I hope you will be encouraged to pursue by the end of this series

) is going to be new clue territory for many people.

Iodine is not commonly found in soil and therefore not found appreciably in many foods. So how are we to get it into our bodies? It is found in ocean foods such as ocean fish and crustaceans

and sea vegetables (seaweed), but it would require a regular diet of these foods to prevent a deficiency.

History of iodine related problems:

In the early 1900’s, goiters were a health concern in many inland areas where seafood

wasn’t a common food source. In 1923-1924 a study revealed that simply adding small amounts of iodine to the diet drastically decreased the incidence of goiters. Iodized salt was introduced into the US market, and by 1951, fewer than 0.5% of school aged children had evidence of enlarged thyroid glands. (Previously, it had been a remarkable 40% in areas with little access to ocean foods). The United States Food and Nutrition Board eventually set the RDA for iodine between 150-290 micrograms/day (approximately ½ – ¾ tsp iodized salt) to prevent goiters.

This is all fine and dandy, except that there are a few missing pieces to the puzzle. The RDA was set up to prevent goiters (which it does quite well), but is the recommendation adequate for optimal thyroid, immune system, and endocrine function?

Consider these facts:

The Japanese consume 89 times more iodine than Americans (waaaaaaay more than what the US RDA has established) due to daily consumption of sea vegetables. Coincidentally, the traditional Japanese culture has reduced rates of chronic disease and some of the lowest cancer rates worldwide.

Iodine is considered to be among the safest of all essential trace elements (provided we are discussing the inorganic non radioactive

variety!), yet it has been given some pretty strict guidelines by the entities in charge.

Iodized salt is loaded with sodium which has its own health concerns. Additionally, a 1969 study

found the bioavailability of iodine in iodized salt to be only about 10%.

An estimated 50% of adults in the United States have an undiagnosed iodine deficiency, and some of the researchers and “out of the box thinking” experts I follow suggest that this number may be as high as 90%.

When I consider how often “those who make the rules” have given us dubious health information in other areas of health, I usually opt to think for myself. Yes, I acknowledge the guidelines, but I also dig for evidence that there may be some rocks “they” don’t want us to look under.

It’s an established fact that we are monetarily worth more to the medical system if we are dependent upon it.

So, back to the question…..are we getting enough iodine to be optimally healthy?

Let’s dive a little deeper into the iodine fact pool:

Scientifically, iodine has been proven to have antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, and anticancer properties. Iodine is responsible for regulating thyroid function and supporting healthy metabolism.

Adequate Iodine is necessary for a robust immune system.

Every cell in our body has a life cycle. When a cell dies in a healthy body, it is replaced by a new cell. This programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and it’s a good thing. Cancer cells are examples of cellular failure to undergo apoptosis. Iodine plays an important role in this beneficial programmed cell death.

Iodine has a protective effect against H. Pylori

(a bacteria that tends to live in the stomach, and when overpopulated, causes ulcers and stomach cancer)

Iodine is a key ingredient for the production of all of the other hormones in the body. (Did you catch that….. “All” ). It’s also found in every cell in our body, but especially concentrated in the salivary glands, the substantia nigra of the brain (one of the involved areas for Parkinson’s disease), the cerebral spinal fluid, the gastric mucosa, breasts, ovaries, and the ciliary body of the eye.

Would you find it interesting that iodine deficiency has been linked to many chronic diseases and dysfunctions including Multiple Sclerosis, glaucoma, Sjogren’s, Parkinson’s, thyroid disorders, fibrocystic breast disease, breast, ovarian, endometrial and prostate cancer, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, certain headache types, diabetes, heart arrhythmia, and the inability to detox properly especially when exposed to mercury, fluoride, and bromine.

Iodine Robbers

In this crime scene, we definitely have clues pointing to a robber or two that can further deprive the body of iodine:

Iodine is an interesting micronutrient. It’s categorized as a “halide” on the periodic table. As a halide, it hangs out with the likes of fluorine, chlorine, and bromine. As you might guess, there are enough similarities between these four that iodine, fluoride, chlorine, and bromine often compete with one another in the body. It’s like a chemical version of the movie “The Parent Trap”

, and fluoride, chlorine, and bromine compete against iodine preventing absorption and binding and tricking the body in the process. Larger degrees of exposure to these toxins make it harder for the body to use the iodine we do get in our diets and supplements. Hopefully you’ve kicked that fluoride laced toothpaste and mouthwash to the curb and have fallen in love with Young Living’s Thieves toothpaste and mouthwash. Watch your water sources for fluoride and chlorine too. Remember, the skin is like a sponge!

Bromine may not be a toxin you’ve heard much about. Unfortunately, that’s not because it’s rare. Bromine is used commonly in pesticides used on fruits (eat organically!), and is found in various processed foods and vegetable oils, hair dyes, textile dyes, commercial cosmetics (use your Savvy Minerals!), pool and spa chemicals, flame retardants, and paints.

Medications including maalox, mylanta, amiodarone, anti-gout meds, birth control pills, cortisone and prednisone as well as some SSRI’s inhibit the body’s use of iodine. Note the possible drug-disease causing connection, especially when there is long term use of the pharmaceutical.

Even certain foods can be iodine robbers if eaten in excess. Cabbage, broccoli, spinach, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, radishes, mustard greens, strawberries, and peaches may cause issues ( only if eaten in excess), especially if iodine levels are already low.

Can you get too much iodine? Does everyone need more iodine? How does taking thyroid medication affect iodine deficiency? Next week, we’ll talk about a couple ways to help determine your iodine status and answer these questions. In the meantime, if you think now’s a good time to add a little extra kelp into your world, Young Living’s Master Formula and Thyromin both contain this VIP sea veggie!

xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring

#healthyiodinelevelsisgoodmedicine

#goodmedicine

#becomingyourownhealthdetective

(PS: Becoming Your Own Health Detective, Volume One is still on sale at presale prices through the end of this week. Link to purchase: https://goodmedicine.info/my-book/ )

Toxic Dye Industry – A Possible Solution

Liz James · February 28, 2022 ·

We fight a toxin load every day from every aspect of our lives. Those who have autoimmune disorders are especially vulnerable to toxin challenges. Unmitigated, someone with one autoimmune disorder can easily become a “collector” of autoimmune disorders. Rarely do they end with “just one”. The body can’t handle the toxins, and once the tipping point happens and the dam breaks, it gets harder and harder to recover from that point.

Mitigation doesn’t mean managing the manifested symptoms of the autoimmune disorder. It means staunching the flow of whatever is causing the autoimmune disorder to “activate”. Toxin overload is the main reason autoimmune disorders manifest.

Do you see how pervasive the toxin industry is? Frankly, I hadn’t even considered toxic dyes in in

clothing until this article. Solvents, fire retardants etc, yet….. but not the dyes

. Here is a solution to toxic dyes in clothing…. at least it looks like a solution, provided there is no ramification to the environment with bacteria producing colorful byproducts? (This remains to be seen. I’m always dubious of genetically modifying anything nowadays, given the nefarious nature of this activity).

We are the keepers of our castles (our homes) and our temples (our bodies).

Awareness matters.

Protecting our homes and bodies matters immensely.

Do it in baby steps…..start with body care products and household cleaners. Every single baby step matters greatly to the outcome of each one of us.

xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring

#becomingyourownhealthdetective

#goodmedicine

#beingagoodstewardofbodyandhomeisgoodmedicine

#babystepsarestillsteps

ecowatch article

The Enigmatic Endocrine System Part I

Liz James · February 22, 2022 ·

The Enigmatic Endocrine System Part I: Organs of Importance

When I write, I nearly always have classical or instrumental music

playing in the background. Today, I’m listening to a playlist of some of the greatest symphonies of all time. It takes an orchestra

of about one hundred musicians and a variety of instruments to create a symphony. If the conductor, a musician, or an instrument doesn’t perform optimally, the symphony will suffer in quality. As more musicians and instruments err, the symphony becomes noticeably wonky, and the “off-ness” most certainly affects the overall listening experience.

The endocrine system is very much like an orchestra. Many hands make light and beautiful work! Each of the twelve major glands/organs within the endocrine system relies on the others to do its work properly and efficiently in the body, and unless you’ve acquired an endocrine disorder, I would wager that you probably rarely think about this small but mighty

system in the body.

Originally, I was only going to cover the thyroid in this series, but as I was writing about the effects of chronically low body temperature, I realized I would be doing you a disservice if I merely mentioned the other endocrine organs in passing. This happens all too often in western medicine, and incomplete information often results in applying a bandaid on the wrong area. We’ve got to look at the entire system if you are going to be a top notch health detective

. With that…. Let’s proceed!

Pineal Gland Facts:

At the “top” of the endocrine system lies a small pinecone shaped, rice sized organ that is deep within the brain. The pineal gland is one of the least understood and most powerful parts of the human body. Its known primary role is to control body rhythm (day and night, the body’s seasonal activity, and even the aging process!) by way of production of melatonin. Melatonin itself has a profound influence in the body. We tend to think of it as our body’s elixir for sleep

, but lack thereof also affects immune function, blood pressure, cortisol levels, eye health, seasonal mood disorders, and may even contribute to relief from acid reflux. The pineal gland also exerts its influence on another endocrine gland, the hypothalamus. Not everyone needs to supplement melatonin, but if you feel that you do, consider Young Living’s Immupro. It’s a chewable tablet taken right before bedtime. In addition to melatonin, it contains several other natural ingredients known to support the immune system and help facilitate a good night’s sleep.

Over time, the pineal gland gets dealt some pretty harsh blows as the body manages viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections, a toxin burden, and exposure to heavy metals and fluoride. These all contribute to calcification of the pineal gland over time. As you may imagine, a malfunctioning pineal gland causes a cascade effect throughout the body.

Hypothalamus Facts:

The hypothalamus’ main role is to keep the body in homeostasis (self regulated balance) as much as possible. It also acts as a purveyor of information between the endocrine and nervous systems. Body temperature, thirst, appetite, weight, emotions, sleep cycles, libido, blood pressure, production of digestive juices, balancing of body fluids….. The hypothalamus is a magnificent multitasking micromanager when it is functioning well, but if the pineal gland doesn’t signal the hypothalamus properly, its performance will be inhibited. Head injuries, genetic or congenital conditions, and certain autoimmune disorders may also hinder the endocrine symphony in a variety of ways.

The hypothalamus-pituitary connection can be thought of as a major “command center” of the endocrine system. The thyroid does not stand alone. It relies on information coming from these two “high command” organs.

The Pituitary Gland Facts:

The pituitary gland is a fascinating team player within the endocrine system. Though it is tucked deeply within the brain, it is a delicate little bean. It may be damaged or adversely affected by:

Lack of blood supply

Medications (including opiates, SSRI’s, haloperidol, risperidone,and certain antibody therapies)

Concussions. Even seemingly mild concussions may cause a “dimmer switch” like effect on the endocrine system. This effect may occur instantaneously, or can begin to show up months to years after the original injury.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals

Endocrine disruptors are well known for causing pituitary dysfunction… they disrupt the entire endocrine system by mimicking, blocking, interfering with hormone production, or modifying the body’s sensitivity to hormones. The term “hormone” comes from the greek word “hormon” which means “to stir up”. Endocrine disruptors wreak havoc on the body’s ability “to stir up” and long term disruption often leads to diabetes, thyroid, and/or sex hormone dysfunction. The cascade doesn’t stop there. It will ultimately affect every system in the body. Thankfully, we have control of the environment within our homes and what we bring in to it.

First we have to identify the criminals, right? Once we do that, we change the locks on the door and don’t let them knowingly in again.

Common endocrine disruptors include:

BPA: a plasticizer found in inner linings of canned foods and in many plastic bottles and containers.

Atrazine and organophosphates are herbicides and pesticides commonly used throughout the agricultural industry. Buy organic to limit exposure. Consider starting a garden for full control over what you put into your body!

Perchlorate: another contaminate in food, milk, and water. Buy organic and filter your water to avoid this one.

Lead, arsenic, Mercury. Yes, sadly, these are all still out there. If you do a little digging, thimerosal is a mercury based preservative found in certain vaccines and medicines.

Perfluorinated chemicals: these bad boys are used to make nonstick cookware. Toss’em!

Phthalates are another common plasticizer. These can be found in plastics. Sadly, they are also found in standard US cosmetics and skin care. Thank goodness we have Young Living’s Savvy Minerals cosmetics and extensive skin care lines, (Bloom, ART, and Orange Blossom) suitable for every skin type.

Glycol Ethers are chemicals used as solvents and stabilizers found in personal care products, perfumes, cosmetics, household cleaners, and industrial products. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back if you’ve already kicked all these things to the curb, and have your castle (home) and temple(your body) cared for and supported by Thieves Household Cleaner (all things Thieves!) and all of the other wonderful healthy options Young Living has created for us.

Emotional unresolved trauma is another endocrine disruptor. Surprised? Studies are uncovering just how much damage may be done by not working through and releasing emotions. The body doesn’t lie, and we store so much at a cellular level. I encourage you to do the heart work and seek help if needed.

Next week, I’ll cover more extensive opportunities to naturally support the functioning of the pineal, hypothalamus, and pituitary. Recognizing the clues dropped by these three tiny organs is as important as deciphering and understanding thyroid clues!

xoxo~ liz

(PS: It’s here!!

If you’d like to order Volume I of Becoming Your Own Health Detective, here’s the link! We’ve bulk ordered a gazillion books that should be here in about a week. If you’d like to preorder at a 20% discount, you can do so….. or you can order straight from Amazon and get it slightly faster at the regular price.) Thank you for supporting my heart’s work!

#sharingiscaring

#ahealthyendocrinesystemisgoodmedicine

#becomingyourownhealthdetective

#goodmedicine

#endocrinedisruptorsarelifedisruptors

Health Clues from Temperature-part 1

Liz James · February 9, 2022 ·

Body Temperature Part I: The Truth about 98.6

Usually when we talk about temperature it’s generally in relation to illness or fertility. You’ve heard people say, “My body temperature just runs low.”, and we accept that as “normal” for them. Heck, I was one of those people too, until I learned the truth.

I’m no physics expert, but we’re gonna talk about some very basic physics and biology “laws” for just a hot minute. I promise to keep it simple. Understanding these principles will help seal this information into your memory.

Temperature is an indicator of heat in a system.

Heat is energy.

Vibration produces heat.

Cells vibrate, and in doing so, produce heat.

Every cellular reaction in the body occurs optimally (key word!) at a specific “heat” level.

Energy (heat) produces cell voltage (imagine a cell has a battery) which alters the pH of the body.

The vibration of molecules within cells is measured electrically. The “hertz” unit is used to measure electrical vibrations (known as frequency).

If the production of energy (heat) drops in the body, cellular vibrations have slowed down and frequency (measured in hertz/ Htz) and pH are affected.

Low frequency and an acidic pH are associated with cancer, chronic disease, and mental health issues.

How’s that for a nutshell version of a basic Law of Thermodynamics and its relationship to mammal biology?

Beyond the microscopic view of body temperature, there are certainly other factors at play:

The hypothalamus (located in the brain) directs the opening and closing of blood flow to the skin. It works in tandem with the thyroid and other tiny but mighty glands and organs. Damage to any of them may affect body temperature.

Stress also interferes with, and drives down body temperature. Cold hand and/or feet are often a reflection of stress response. Conversely, warmer hands/feet indicate relaxation. We can grow used to living with chronic stress, but the body doesn’t lie.

Adrenal fatigue or insufficiency

Hormone imbalance (commonly low progesterone or estrogen dominance in women, or low testosterone in men)Unresolved emotional trauma

Heavy metal or chemical toxicity (including medications)

Some people may be born with a lower body temperature. This may be due to any of the above. Do not minimize the generational impact of toxins, unresolved emotional trauma, energetically dead food, and poor water quality on babies!

Chronic low body temperature is often a common clue or symptom of a known (or yet unknown) disorder or distress. Dr. David Jernigan writes, “The colder a body becomes, the slower the electrical oscillatory rate and therefore the thicker, more viscous, or syrupy the body fluids become. The more viscous the fluids become the more difficult it is for the body to push the fluids through the body. The lymph fluids that are normally supposed to bathe the outsides of all of your cells become progressively stagnant as it is too thick to move efficiently.”

Jernigan’s illustration above is a graphic description of what happens when body fluids become stagnant. If low body temperature becomes a chronic issue, several things begin happening:

The body becomes a home for viruses, certain bacteria, and chronic infection

Gradual cellular death (without regeneration) begins to happen

Actions of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, hormones, neurotransmitters and other body essential chemicals are compromised

Acidity of the body increases and serious disorders and diseases begin appearing.

Frequency of the body drops and negative emotions begin to predominate

It becomes even harder for the body to spit out toxins

Smooth muscle tone is affected and fluid begins leaking out into tissue and edema results

Can chronic low body temperature be corrected? You bet it can, and we’re going to discuss that next week! Remember, the wall around Jerusalem didn’t get destroyed in a single day and it wasn’t rebuilt in a single day either! And, Nehemiah didn’t do it alone. He sought out a community of like minded people with different skill sets to help him rebuild, and they persevered… even despite toxic (both physical and emotional) onslaught in the process. Your life is a story of clues, and although God is the ultimate author of each of our stories, the choices we make play a huge part in the writing of it!