Why do I need to take probiotics?

Did you know that you have about 3-4 pounds of gut bugs (aka intestinal flora, gut bacteria or probiotics) in your intestinal tract? There are so many that some consider your intestinal flora another organ. In fact, researchers are not even sure how many live in your intestines or the different names of all of the species! What we do know however is that gut flora plays a vital role in your health and for this reason, it is very important to keep your levels healthy and happy.

The intestinal flora in your stomach, small and large intestines serves you in many, many different ways. For starters, it is a key player in your digestion. It helps you digest carbohydrates and proteins and stimulates intestinal motility so your food can be properly digested and wastes can be excreted. Flora also creates vitamins for you, such as vitamin K, biotin, some B vitamins and a milieu of antioxidants. It is also a very important part of your immune system; your gut flora is what screens out harmful bacteria and toxins that enter your body through your food.

Where did you get this gut flora? You got it on the day you were born. If you were born in a vaginal birth, you picked up a great amount traveling through mom’s vagina. You also got a large amount from mom on a daily basis if you were breast-fed. If you were born via Cesarean Section or were not breast fed however, you did not get a chance to get fully inoculated; you may still be feeling the impact today of having reduced intestinal flora.

There are many reasons why the flora in your gut may be out of whack. Flora naturally starts to decrease at age 50, leaving some people unable to digest the foods they love and with decreased immunity. Levels may also be disrupted from antibiotic use, stress, a diet high in animal fats, immune deficiency or rectal/colon surgery.

It is possible to get some good healthy flora back into your gut from fermented foods, such as yogurt, tempeh, saurkraut, and kimchee. The likelihood of the flora actually living through the processing of these foods however is slim. It is recommended that if you wish to increase your levels of good intestinal flora to either ferment those foods yourself or use a probiotic.

Are all probiotics the same? Absolutely not. In fact, a mentor of mine decided to do a study on his own and purchased some of the common named brands from local markets and sent them to a lab to be analyzed. In many of the products he sent, the amount of live flora in the product was zero. The companies may say that their product contains 5 billion flora but they always include a clause that says “before processing”.

In order to be sure that your product contains live flora, the company should be willing to show proof that their product has been tested (after processing) by an independent laboratory. We want to make sure you are getting all that you pay for, so please ask us for help if you are interested in introducing probiotics in your life. We are always happy to give a little love to your little flora friends.

Is Cholesterol Really Bad For You?

The idea that cholesterol causes heart disease, while popular, is not compatible with human life. Cholesterol is essential to your health and survival. It is so important, in fact, that your body makes 80% of your required cholesterol daily. In people with low dietary cholesterol intake, such as vegans, nearly 100% is made by the body.

Every one of your cells needs cholesterol to keep their shape and not rupture and die. It is also needed to make Vitamin D and many hormones including testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and cortisol.

As you may have heard, cholesterol has been divided into “good” and “bad” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is considered the “bad” cholesterol because it takes cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. This cholesterol may get deposited on blood vessel walls but your body does this intentionally. The cholesterol that is deposited on the walls of blood vessels is used by the body to patch damaged blood vessel cell membranes. Blood vessels are subject to damage caused by environmental toxins, dietary allergens, and high sugar levels among other things. Without LDL cholesterol, the damaged blood vessels would be very leaky. Essentially, LDL cholesterol is the body’s Band-Aid.

HDL cholesterol, or the “good” cholesterol, is responsible for removing excess cholesterol from the rest of your body and taking it to the liver to be broken down. Increasing the amount of HDL in the body actually decreases your risk of having a heart attack in the future.

The goal in prevention of heart disease should not be to stop the body from trying to heal itself with cholesterol, but to limit the damage caused by diet, the environment, and stress. This can be achieved by stabilizing your blood sugar levels, removing potential food allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, and corn) and refined sugars from your diet, proper aerobic exercise, limiting your exposure to environmental toxins, and reducing your stress levels. Including fish oils and garlic in your diet can also increase your levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.

You may now schedule a free 20 minute consultation with Dr. Kate to discuss your cholesterol and what it means to your health. Call today: (928) 458-6748I

Interested in learning more about hydrotherapy? This Saturday, June 12th, Dr. Kathryn Sage will be giving a lecture entitled, “Hydrotherapy: Harnessing the Healing Power of Water”, at One Root Tea and Herbothcary (500 W. Gurley in Prescott). The lecture will start at 9:00am and will go over many of the basic tenants of hydrotherapy, as well as give you some easy, at-home hydrotherapy treatments for the entire family.

For now, here is one of our favorite hydrotherapy treatments that we share with many of our patients:

Hydrotherapy treatment #1

This is an easy hydrotherapy treatment that you and your family can do everyday in the shower. It will wake you up, improve your mood and give you more energy. The treatment also helps boost your immune system so you may notice over time that you will get less sick or not sick at all with the “nasty bug” everybody else is catching.

This most basic and tonifying hydrotherapy treatment uses alternating hot and cold in the shower. When you use hot water on your skin, blood is drawn towards the smaller vessels closer to the skin, thus the reason you turn red/pink. When it does this, it brings with it nutrients and oxygen to feed tissues that often time don’t get as much fresh blood. When you use cold, the blood gets pulled back towards the center and out of the small vessels, the reason you turn white. When the blood is drawn back in, it brings toxins and wastes with it to be disposed of by the liver.

Ideally it is best to do two minutes of hot water all over your body and then thirty seconds of cold (as cold as you can stand it) all over your body. If possible, try to do this a total of 3 times in the shower. As I know I am asking a lot, better than nothing is to always end your shower in cold water for 30 seconds. You may find that it brings more energy and vitality to your day.

Stinging nettle, Uritica Dioica, grows along roadsides and in the forests almost throughout the US and Canada. It is best known for its ability to “sting” you with its prickers, causing an uncomfortable urticaria or itchy rash that may last up to 12 hours. Although not a commonly known herb now, nettles have a rich history of medicinal uses and its leaves and roots have been used for everything including bladder issues, allergies and even hair re-growth. Once boiled, the stinging nettle can also be added to soups and salads, adding a multitude of vitamins and minerals as well as a delicious taste to your meal.

Today the herb is frequently used in the springtime to deal with the most common seasonal condition, allergies. It has been tested to be a potent anti-histamine when taken either in teas or in its whole form in capsules. Taking nettles will help with all of those nasty allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, sniffling and runny nose. And best of all, it won’t make you drowsy. Although the tea literally tastes like you are drinking grass, it may become appealing once you realize the strength of this potent herb.

As this herb is a diuretic, it should not be used if you have congestive heart failure or kidney problems. Also, if you are pregnant, diabetic or have a prostate condition, please consult with a naturopathic physician before taking this herb. Please also be careful if you are harvesting stinging nettles yourself. Gloves are recommended.

Sages’ Favorite Nettle Soup:

You may be able to buy already harvested nettles at your co-op and farmer’s markets. Or if you are brave, you can harvest them yourself.

Ingredients:

2 TB vegetable oil or butter

2 TB flour (gluten-free works great)

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Several handfuls of freshly picked and washed young nettles

2 cups milk (cow, soy, rice – it all works)

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil/butter for a few minutes then stir in nettles (don’t worry about removing the stalks) until they are soft. Stir in the flour and gradually add the milk and stock, stirring all the time. Add seasonings. Blend half if you desire a creamier soup. Enjoy!

Why do I get seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis or hayfever, are your body’s annoying and inappropriate immune response to something that it thinks is troublesome, even though it is not. What happens is that the first time you are exposed to something like pollen, your body may decide that the pollen is dangerous (like a bacteria) and will begin to make specific antibodies to the pollen. The second time you are exposed to that same pollen, those antibodies will cause an allergic reaction – they attach to a certain cell called a mast cell, causing it release histamine, thus creating sneezing, nasal itching, runny nose, and itchy eyes. As those of you suffering from this condition know, this immune response continues until the season is over.

More than 20% of the U.S. population suffers from seasonal allergies even though this is a condition that can be successfully treated with naturopathic and East Asian medicines. The ultimate treatment goal focuses on changing your body’s immune response with diet and herbs so that it no longer responds inappropriately to something that is not harmful. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, the treatment may also include tools such as certain vitamins and nutrients, to help stop an allergic response while it is currently happening. Finally, there are methods that may be useful to employ in order to stop exposure to the allergen.

If you are a sufferer of seasonal allergies, there are things we can do right away, even if it is not the season in which you are the most allergic. By starting today, we can stop the seasonal allergic response in the future. Sages’ Healing Center is your one-stop shop for all of your healthcare needs. Call us today for a free 20 min. consultation: 458-6748.

For those of you who have yet to visit, the clinic is up and running and looks beautiful. If you live in the Prescott area, feel free to drop in for a cup of tea and to meet Damon & Kathryn.

As winter is beginning to settle in here in Northern Arizona, it’s time to start thinking about how to stay healthy throughout the cold season. The common cold is no fun – sneezing, achy body, feeling miserable – who wants it! Even though the cold is not a major illness, it still is enough to make you feel yucky for a few days, maybe even causing you to miss work. So let us all avoid getting the common cold this year by following some easy prevention tips.

1. Good Hygiene: A very common method for transmitting the common cold is by shaking hands or touching surfaces that contain the virus. So an easy way to avoid getting the cold is by washing your hands. Ordinary soap works best – antibacterial soaps add little protection as most of the time the cold is transmitted by a virus.

2. Healthy Diet: Eating a diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants will help to keep your immune system strong and better prepared to ward off colds. Include foods such as dark colored vegetables and fruits in your diet daily. Also, be sure to add lots of colorful and warming spices, like turmeric, cayenne, garlic, and ginger (especially fresh garlic and ginger).

3. Low Stress and Active Social Life: Studies show that people who are more active in the winter and have an active social life are much less likely to get sick. Therefore, don’t let the cold and flu season keep you inside – get outside and have some fun.

4. Vitamins: It has actually now been proven that the only ones who benefit from extra vitamin C in the winter are children: it decreases their chance for getting ill with its antioxidant power. It will still help adults though if they are starting to come down with something, it just doesn’t help prevent sickness. Vitamin D may be a good addition and will boost your immune system, especially if you are deficient.

5. Hydrotherapy: A fun and easy tip to improve your chance of avoiding colds and flu during this season: end all of your showers in cool water. I say fun because it is suppose to be cold enough to make you sing ☺. Rinsing your body for 30 seconds every day in cold water not only boosts your immune system, it also gives you increased energy and vitality.

If you would like more tips to keep you healthy this season, visit our website at: www.sageshealingcenter.com or make an appointment with us for more personalized ideas.

Coupon

If you are unable to stop by, please feel free to follow the happenings at Sages’ Healing Center on Facebook. Just search for us and become a fan.

Because Halloween is just around the corner, here is a little information and a ghoulishly delicious recipe using your favorite vampire repellent.

Garlic For The Soul

Anyone who has ever eaten a raw garlic clove knows the power of this medicine. The stuff within garlic that gives you the stinky breathe is called allicin, its most potent chemical component. Allicin contains a sulfur compound, which may cause you to be unpopular to kiss, but makes it very potent medicine. In fact, it can protect you from getting high blood pressure, diabetes and liver disease. Garlic also reduces inflammation in your body and protects you from infections. Excuse me if I go on and on about this herb, but really I hope you will get the point garlic really is amazing.

Garlic is especially known as an herb for your entire cardiovascular system – your arteries, veins, capillaries and heart. When taken daily, it can reduce the plaque that builds up on your blood vessels, allowing more blood to your hands and feet and reducing your overall blood pressure. It does this by strengthening your blood vessel walls, decreasing your LDL -“bad”- cholesterol, the guy who deposits buildup on your vessels and increasing your HDL –“good”- cholesterol, the guy who takes the buildup back from your vessels to your liver so it can be destroyed. It also decreases your overall triglyceride levels, reducing your overall risk of heart disease.

Garlic is a very powerful immune booster. It is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Therefore, it can take care of almost any bug or overgrowth you get! It is commonly used for yeast infections but can be used for so much more including any kind of upper respiratory issue (bronchitis, colds, flu, sinus infections, etc) or gastrointestinal issues (ulcers, parasites) and more.

Garlic also protects you from Type 2 diabetes or can be a great help for someone already diagnosed with diabetes because it helps reduce sugar in the blood. Less sugar causes less insulin to be released, therefore allowing your cells to better process the sugar that is already there. It should be used under the supervision of a physician if you have “brittle diabetes” or easily become hypoglycemic.

There are a few other people who should be careful with garlic, such as those with acute inflammation, insomnia, dehydration, organ transplants or if you are taking an anticoagulant. It also should not be used by people who have a hot constitution – a red face, sweat easily, feel warm to touch, prone to headaches and anger easily, etc.

To be honest, the best way to take it is to shoot it straight up, raw and in all of its glory, 1-2 cloves/day. However, I know that many people may have issues (such as you want to still have friends) so therefore try to use it in your cooking whenever possible, but keep it as raw as you can. There are also supplements that are available from naturopathic physicians and some health food markets – try to take these only under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.

DAIRYFREE GARLIC PESTO: By Jill Stansbury, ND

Pesto traditionally contains parmesan cheese and is an excellent complementing flavor when desired. In order to make a pesto of medicinal quality the following recipe without dairy products will work. The traditional recipe also uses fresh basil. Wonderful pestos may be made from other fresh herbs including cilantro, mint, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, and arugula.

Peel all of the individual cloves in 3-5 full bulbs of garlic and place in a food processor.

Tear 5 large handfuls of Basil into the food processor.

Cover with olive or flax oil and puree.

Add 1 cup of pine nuts and blend again.

Use as a spread on toast or cracker, on pasta, and to make salad dressings and sauces.

Store in the refrigerator.