Natural Digestion Aids for your Gut

5 Dec 2016 Tips & Tricks, Women & Pregnancy, Your Overall Health , ,

So the holidays are coming or your neighbors annual BBQ is around the corner, but all of these events just give you heartburn, gas, constipation or diarrhea.  This may be a sign that you have some food allergies, our gut needs to heal from something, or it may be as simple as needing some digestive assistance.  Here are our quick and easy digestive help aids. Remember if these aren’t the answer, talking to one of our doctors may be a better long-term solution.

  • Heartburn – Marshmallow tea or Slippery Elm powder (powder’s are nice since they heal mouth the stomach)
  •  Slow Digestion – Digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, proteases)- help break down items like steak or holiday goodies
  •  Tummy ache – papaya enzymes or activated charcoal
  •  Diarrhea – Probiotics 50 Billion, Glutamine Powder
  •  Constipation – Probiotics 25 Billion, Yellow aloe

Castor Oil Pack Treatment

31 Jan 2013 Recipes & Home Remedies, Your Overall Health , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Castor oil packs aid in the elimination and detoxification of the body.

Indications: The castor oil pack has many applications and is used in many conditions including uterine fibroids, non-malignant ovarian cysts, headaches, migraines, abdominal pain un-explained, nerve pain, constipation, colitis and other intestinal disorders, gall bladder and liver conditions, arthritis and chest colds.

Contraindications: Do not use heat with uterine growths, bleeding, pregnancy, ulcers or while menstruating. Do not fall asleep while using the electric heating pad.

Supplies:

  •             Flannel cloth (cotton or wool; 20-40 inches by 24-48 inches)
  •             Plastic wrap (clear kitchen wrap or plastic bag without ink)
  •             Glass dish (square 9×9 inch Pyrex or similar container)
  •             Bath towel
  •             Hot water bottle or hot gel pack
  •             Two safety pins
  •             Six ounces of castor oil

Directions: Choose a container to store and heat the castor oil pack. Fold the flannel or wool cloth 2-4 times, so that it is several layers thick and a suitable size to cover recommended body area.
Pour oil onto flannel until it is well moistened. Heat flannel/oil in glass dish in oven or microwave to a comfortable temperature. The pack should be very hot, but not hot enough to burn your skin. Lie down placing flannel directly on skin over the treatment area. Place plastic wrap that is 1-2 inches larger than flannel on all sides over the flannel and plastic and pin in place. If using heat, apply hot water bottle or hot gel pack over the treatment area. Rest. You may use this time to meditate or use visualization techniques.
Treatment should continue for at least 1 hour. Longer treatments are not harmful, though it is not advisable to fall asleep with the heating pad on. You may replace the flannel pack in the glass container and store in refrigerator. This flannel and oil may be used for 20-25 applications.
To remove the oily feel to skin afterwards, wash skin or towel in a solution of 3 tablespoons baking soda/qt of water.

Usage of Castor Oil Pack

Your clinician will recommend the frequency of use. Typically, the castor oil pack is used 1-3 times/day in acute situations, and 1-3 times/week in more chronic situations.

           

Gastro Intestinal Health

26 Nov 2012 Your Overall Health , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What is GI the tract?

The GI tract consists of the stomach and lower intestinal area in addition to the transitional segments. The organs are the stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon) and the rectum.  The upper digestive tract includes the mouth, duodenum and esophagus.

What does the GI tract do?

The GI system is responsible for the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients as well excretion.  Most digestion occurs in the small intestine, while the stomach is mainly responsible for the breakdown of food and particles in the system. The digestive tract is a series of tubes within tubes that are made up absorbent surfaces, each with a different job. The mucous layers absorb hormones, vitamins, minerals, water and other important nutrients essential to your health.  The GI tract is the immune system barrier, which is the main defense against outside infections and allergens.

What does it feel like when your digestive tract isn’t working properly?

–       Gas, bloating and pain

–       Stomach upset

–       Heartburn

–       Fatigue due to improper absorption

–       Constipation or diarrhea

–       Nausea and vomiting

What happens when your gut doesn’t work? 

The inability to properly process food can be a sign of other underlying health problems. For instance, “leaky gut” occurs when a particle of food or other foreign substance crosses the barrier from the intestines into the body. There they create a strong reaction that causes the immune system to attack the particle and sometimes areas of the body that may resemble the particle. This is a key theory in autoimmune disorders and diseases.  Another problem is that when your gut isn’t working well, your hormones don’t get processed properly resulting in a build-up of only one type of hormone.  Any hormone imbalance can lead to serious and unpleasant side effects.

What are the side effects of an unhealthy digestive system?

-Nutritional deficiencies since vitamins and minerals are not absorbed properly

-Fatigue, weakness and dizziness

– Yeast over growth and infection

-Anxiety from hormone imbalance

-Impaired immune function since the body is already fighting something

-Skin rashes due to decreased immune function

-Flatulence and bloating

-Diarrhea or constipation

-Headaches from hormone imbalance

 

What are a few steps to improving the health of your digestive tract?

-Test for food allergies that can make the leaky gut worse

-Decrease refined sugar in your diet

-Take healthy enzymes like glutamine which can heal the GI tract

-Use probiotics at a dose strong enough to replace your depleted flora

-Increase your intake of high fiber foods health

 

Holistic medicine and diets are a great option to manage an ADD child.

22 Oct 2012 Healthy Child , , , , , , , ,

Currently the diagnosis for ADD and ADHD is becoming more and more common for students and children with extra activity.  The most common form of treatment is to give stimulant type drugs that enable the children to focus and harness their energy.  However we find that stimulants are not only hard on children’s health but also not a good long term fix.  What most parents feel passionate about is what are the healthier and more of the long term options for their child?  The answer is holistic medicine and diets can actually be a really great option to manage an ADD child.

The first option is diet.  Numerous amounts of children with ADD or ADHD have food sensitivities of some kind.  There are two types of immunoglobulin’s IgE and IgG.  IgE antibodies are the ones that cause an immediate allergic reaction.  An example of this is a child that eats a peanut and then has an immediate allergic reaction which can put them in danger of not being able to breathe.  IgG antibodies are a delayed sensitivity that can cause numerous symptoms. The symptoms include but are not limited to: fatigue, behavior modification, headaches, sore-throat, loose stool, constipation, mood changes and decrease in immunity due to body inflammation.

The second option is homeopathy.  Homeopathic medicine is very effective in treating not only ADD but also other childhood behavioral disorders.  This is a type of treatment that is easy for kids to take and produces remarkable results.  Parents love it too since they don’t have to force their kids to take something that doesn’t taste good. An example of Homeopathy is taking a specific symptom or personality and diluting compounds that would enhance that symptom.  By diluting the compound only a mild remnant remains and this stimulates a negative feedback loop causing the body to stop the overactive symptoms of ADD.  This reaction helps the body to teach itself to adapt to its lack of concentration by knowing when it’s time to focus and when there is an appropriate time to be energetic.  This can be very empowering for both the parents and child.

The third option is to modulate their daily activity.  For most of us, it can be very challenging as a parent since it requires you to get your child on a schedule that can sometimes be very strict.  This schedule would include exercise, a set bedtime and scheduled study or homework time.

Our Los Gatos office can help with any and all of these elements. We would love to answer any questions you have.

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