Self-Healing and Detoxification- A Whole-Person Approach

When my doctor told me I had Candida Albicans, I knew there wasn’t going to be a quick solution to this problem. Although, I took the prescription, in time, my symptoms worsened and I felt that I was completely on my own to resolve this issue. You see, I’ve had yeast-related issues almost my whole life! I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in my teen years based on symptoms of chronic fatigue and pain. Yeast over-growth was never guessed as the cause of my fatigue. That amounts to a many years of living with an ongoing fungal infection and not knowing why. Imagine the havoc wreaked on my immune system as I struggled to understand why I was so exhausted and had many infections. Trying to figure out why I was sick and what to do about was a HUGE challenge. On the way to improving my health, I discovered that getting better required more than following a list of “do’s” and “don’ts”. So I read and read until I could finally put into practice some of the wonderful things I had learned. What I learned is that developing certain personal qualities is vital if you want to succeed in improving your health. The following information is to motivate those who think they could feel better, lose weight or reach their goals through education and personal efforts.

Taking Care of Basics

Some mystery symptoms are improved when the ‘basics’ are addressed. What are the basics that all of us have a measure of control over in our lives? We are responsible for the quality and quantity our food and water intake. We can’t avoid stress but will we learn how to manage it? We can view sleep as necessary for health or unnecessary. Are we sedentary or active?

How we think about the ‘basics’ is very important and will have a cause and effect on our total health and well-being. Why? Because, if we feel that we are responsible for ourselves, we will take the initiative to take care of ourselves. If not, we may find that our health deteriorates and we are at the mercy of our families, meds, and doctors to take care of us. (Of course, sometimes we don’t have any control over our health, and if we need help, we shouldn’t feel bad about accepting it).
Our attitude can work against us or help us as we try to accomplish our goals for optimal health. Here are a few tips:

1. Be Positive

Even if you are very sick, you can cultivate an optimistic outlook. If you are gloomy and negative, it will only make everything seem worse and you won’t be motivated to do anything. After all “it won’t do any good”. So try to fight this tendency by starting each day telling yourself that you will stop yourself from saying or thinking anything that reflects a pessimistic outlook. If you’ve been inclined toward negativity for years, it will take a while to rid yourself of this habit but it’s worth the effort.

2. Be Diligent

Many people hold back from getting healthier because they are overwhelmed by the amount of work it will take to get better. It’s important not to have a don’t-care attitude when it comes to our health. Taking care of ourselves shouldn’t be relegated to others. As long as we are able to, we should put forth great effort to keep ourselves well in a balanced way.

3. Create the Right Environment

If you don’t want to eat sugary foods, don’t buy them! If you don’t want to drink coffee, don’t go to coffee shops. If you want to avoid alcohol, get it out of your cupboards, and out of your house. Go to whatever lengths necessary to create an environment for success. Don’t underestimate how strongly addicted you can be to caffeine, sugar and alcohol. No excuses!!!

4. Be Honest

When my yeast symptoms were out of control, I had to ask: Am I contributing in some way to making my symptoms worse? Realizing that the yeast problem (along with the emotional and mental effects) would continue as long as I was consuming sugar, I had to be honest and admit that if I continued taking in sugar, my yeast issues would not go away. I couldn’t rely on someone else’s opinion to help me; neither could I imagine that taking supplements while continuing my bad habits would accomplish anything good on a long-term basis. To this day, my symptoms are guaranteed to return if I go back to my old eating habits. Being dishonest will cause you to attribute your symptoms to secondary or unrelated causes so that you can feel free to continue the damaging behavior.

Keeping a food/drink journal is a good first step in taking an honest look at what you’re consuming on a daily basis. You may find that the one candy bar a week is actually 4! Or the one or two drinks you have occasionally are more than that.

5. Be Resourceful

What resources are available to you? There are books, the internet, your ability to reason, and the experiences of others who may have faced something similar with their health. Ask questions and you’ll find answers. Get professional help if you find it too difficult to do it on your own.

6. Be Willing to Fail

Once you’ve resolved to take steps to improve your health, you may fail to reach your goals in the beginning. When this happens, try again and keep trying until your new habits are established. It takes time to get used to doing things differently. If my routine is disrupted it’s more difficult to eat the right foods, and at times I feel like a failure, but I keep trying. At least once you’ve proven to yourself that when you took care of yourself in the past and you felt better, you’ll be motivated to get back to good habits.

7. Don’t Give Up

Even when things seem hopeless, it’s good to keep an open mind. Be open to the possibility that you haven’t considered everything yet. That’s why there are “second opinions”. If second opinions haven’t helped, try a different approach. Maybe you could visit a naturopathic doctor who can provide comprehensive lab tests to compliment conventional tests. If you have any questions about available tests, please notice the book, 7-Day Detox Miracle by Peter Bennett, N.D., and Stephen Barrie, N.D. with Sara Faye, under “Sources” below.

The Purpose of Detoxification

In addition to some of the tips above, it’s practical to consider detoxification as a means to get healthier. It works with your body’s natural detoxification processes to improve all functions of the body.

The primary aim of a detoxification program is to clean the blood. Changing and optimizing the diet and stimulating circulation encourage the organs of the immune system to filter the blood. In order for our bodies to function optimally, our cells must be healthy. When our blood is clean and filtering properly, our cellular health is improved. In order to have a healthy body, our cells must be strong and protected as much as possible.

We’ll focus more on detoxification in future articles along with supplements for improving cellular health. If you enjoyed this blog, please pass it on to your friends and relatives. Thank you.

If you have any questions, please email me at consultations4health@gmail.com. My website is: consultations4health.com.

Sources:
7-Day Detox Miracle – Revitalize Your Mind and Body with This Safe and Effective Life-Enhancing Program by Peter Bennett, N.D, and Stephen Barrie, N.D., with Sara Faye; available at amazon.com

Disclaimer:
These statements have not been reviewed by the FDA and are not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any disease whether physical or mental. This information is for entertainment purposes only. Please do not attempt to self-diagnose or treat an illness. Please see your doctor for all medical concerns.

Calming Inflammation

A friend asked me recently if there’s something that can be done for stomach and intestinal inflammation. Of course, whether something can help depends on the reason for the problem. If it’s nothing too serious, there are a few natural remedies to try. These are a couple that not everyone knows about…. Yet
The following information is taken from about.com under alternative medicine. I’ve used this remedy for my stomach from time to time.

What is Castor Oil?

Castor oil has a long history of traditional medical use dating back to ancient Egypt. Castor oil is derived from the castor bean (Ricinus communis. Although it was once taken orally as a laxative, it's now known to be toxic and is used only externally over unbroken skin. It should only be used after consulting a health care professional.

What is a Castor Oil Pack?

A castor oil pack involves the use of cloth soaked in castor oil which is placed on the skin. It's used by some alternative practitioners to enhance circulation and to promote the healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. Alternative practitioners also use it to improve liver function, relieve pain, reduce inflammation and to improve digestion.

How is a Castor Oil Pack Made?

Castor oil packs are made by soaking a piece of flannel in castor oil and placing it on the skin. The flannel is covered with a sheet of plastic, and then a hot water bottle is placed over the plastic to heat the pack.
A castor oil pack can be placed on the following body regions:
• The right side of the abdomen. Castor oil packs are sometimes recommended by alternative practitioners as part of a liver detox program.

• Inflamed and swollen joints, bursitis, and muscle strains.

• The abdomen to relieve constipation and other digestive disorders.

• The lower abdomen in cases of menstrual irregularities and uterine and ovarian cysts.

Safety

Castor oil should not be taken internally. It should not be applied to broken skin. It should not be used during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or during menstruation.

Far Infrared Heating Pads

I first learned of infrared technology from a book about acid-alkaline balance and acidic wastes by Felicia Drury Clement. This is a safe form of electromagnetic energy that is free of radiation. Far infrared technology uses waves of natural infrared light for health and pain relief. Alternative practitioners have recommended this technology for help with breaking down acidic wastes in the body. An infrared heating pad could provide inflammation relief. The following information is taken from nikken.com. I’ve seen a brand called Therasage on amazon.com for heating pads.
Nikken Far-Infrared Technology is based on the ability of certain specialized materials to absorb energy and then release it in a selective manner.
All matter is capable to some degree of absorbing energy, including energy in those wavelengths where it is expressed in the form of heat. All matter will also reach a point of saturation and release the excess into the surrounding environment.
The ceramic fibers used in Far-Infrared Technology are exceptional in that energy is released only as far-infrared waves, that is, only within the far-infrared portion of the energy spectrum. Even though it is capable of accepting energy at almost every wavelength, the fibers translate the reflected product into output in the far-infrared range.

For more information please contact me: consultations4health@gmail.com

Disclaimer: This information has not been approved by the FDA and is for educational purposes only. Please consult your doctor for any medical concerns.